Ghana: Electricity, Water Tariff Increases Will Worsen Plights Of Suffering Ghanaians—Minority

Ghana’s Minority Parliamentarians have rejected the electricity and water tariffs announced by the country’s utility regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).

The Commission, on Monday, announced a 27.15 per cent increment in end-user tariff for electricity and a 21.55 per cent increment for water tariff effective 1st September, 2022.

However, a statement issued by the Ranking Member of Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament and the Minority’s Spokesperson on Energy debunked the 27.15 per cent being announced as the tariff for electricity.

“A critical look at the tariff structure as announced reveals that all residential consumers who fall between 0-300 kWh bracket have witnessed a price increase from GHp/kWh 65.4161 to GHp/kWh89.0422, representing an increment of almost 34 per cent.

“It should be noted that the bulk of residential consumers fall within the 0-300 kWh bracket and will, therefore, be adversely affected by the 34 per cent adjustment,” the statement said.

The Minority noted that the country is already reeling under galloping inflation estimated at 32 per cent, saying “this utility tariff increment will only exacerbate the current high cost of living and will thus worsen the plight of the already impoverished Ghanaian.”

Before this electricity tariff increment, the Minority observed that petroleum products at the pumps have witnessed a colossal increment of about 100 per cent.

“So far, the Energy Debt Recovery Levy has seen an increase of 20 per cent; the Price Stabilization and Recovery Levy is up by 40 per cent. The Unified Petroleum Pricing Formula has been increased by 164 per cent, whilst the BOST margin has been increased from 3 pesewas to 9 pesewas, representing a 200 per cent increase.

“As if this is not enough, the fuel marking margin levy has also been increased by another 233 per cent,” the Minority fumed.

According to the Minority, they are of the strongest conviction that the government can and must do something to cushion Ghanaians who are going through unimaginable hardships with ever-worsening poverty levels under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led government.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com