Disregard 60 Percent Increment in Electricity Tariffs Speculation - PURC

By Bernard Benghan

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has called on Ghanaians to disregard the speculation of 60 per cent increment in electricity tariffs in a section of the media.

It said although Ghanaians should expect a review of utilities tariffs on February 1, the commission has not concluded on whether consumers of water and electricity were going to pay more or less.

The Head of Public Affairs and External Relations of the commission, Bawah Munkaila, said this in an interview with the Ghanaian Times on Tuesday in Accra,

It will be recalled that the minority parliamentarians lamented that the energy sector was in crisis, claiming the ECG debt was inching towards ?2billion, a situation that would increase electricity tariffs to 60 per cent.

But, Mr Munkaila expressed optimism that the commission was not going to announce any "huge" increment, adding that PURC was engaging various stakeholders to reach reasonable water and electricity tariffs.

"We have completed our public hearing on tariffs adjustment in Tamale, Kumasi and Accra to enable service providers present their proposal before stakeholders for consideration after which all these would be evaluated before any announcement is made.

The commission still welcomes opinions from individuals and civil society groups in written or verbal," he said.

Mr Munkaila explained that the takeover of ECG would also not result in any astronomical increase in electricity tariffs in future, since it was the commission that had the mandate to adjust tariffs.

He explained that there were regulatory benchmarks which the PURC would consider before tariffs were adjusted, and that the proposed 15 per cent reduction in tariffs by Trade Union Congress (TUC) had been noted.

The TUC is also anticipating further reduction in fuel prices, gas, and inflation and to reduce consumer's burden.

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