The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has defended the 2.63% increment slapped on electricity tariff saying, it is aimed at helping the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) manage the ongoing load shedding exercise.
[contextly_sidebar id=”xjfAFzJMjSfKhsJU4BDVOuPAy9Ju0JfQ”]The PURC further explained that the increment will help ECG buy the necessary equipment to effectively run the current load management system.
The PURC in the second quarter Automatic Adjustment Formula, arrived at an actual increase of 31.73 cumulative for electricity and 21.30% for water, but the Commission using the Decision Variable decided to pass on the minimal tariff increase of 2.63 percent for electricity and 1.06 percent for water due the erratic power supply in the country.
Speaking to Citi News, Director of Public Affairs and External Relations at the PURC, Nana Yaa Jantuah said the Commission considers its decision as best in the interest of ECG.
She pointed out that electricity tariffs have not been increased for some time now; a situation she said has adversely affected the ECG.
“…in the last quarter we did not increase, the two quarters before that there was no increment and whatever they are using to maintain, they are using money, they are doing foreign exchange, changing money and all that to maintain the system and that is why the Commission has asked for 31.76% and we said no, let’s not pass on the 31, let’s just be doing our calculations.”
Nana Yaa Jantuah in defending the increment said: “This is what they need, not to do all the maintenance that they need but at least to maintain the load shedding so that we can get some light not a situation where there will be a total darkness.”
“This tariff is not a tariff that is going to improve the situation,” she noted.
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana