Vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has stated that during the height of the global health crisis, posed by the COVID-19 pandemic the government implemented a comprehensive plan to support citizens, offering free water and free electricity to all households for an entire year.
Addressing the nation on Wednesday, February 7, 2023, he added that life line consumers benefited from free electricity, while others enjoyed a substantial 50% discount, providing much-needed financial relief to families and businesses.
According to him, Despite the economic strain posed by COVID-19, the government prioritized ensuring essential services remained accessible to all citizens.
“Provided free water to all households for a whole year during COVID-19 We provided free electricity to life line consumers and a 50% discount to other consumers for a whole year during COVID-19. It is important to note that between 2009 and 2016, the average annual increase in end user electricity tariffs was 50% per year!
“Between 2017 and 2023 on the other hand, the average annual increase was 11.1%. This is the lowest annual average increase in electricity tariffs for any government since 1992. We abolished or reduced 21 separate taxes in our first term (before the global crisis). We also reduced import duties by 50% between 2019 and 2021 even though traders did not reduce prices for consumers as they promised to do,” he added.
Vice President Bawumia also shed light on the government’s commitment to economic reforms, citing the abolition or reduction of 21 separate taxes during the first term, preceding the global crisis.
Import duties were also reduced by 50% between 2019 and 2021, demonstrating the government’s dedication to fostering economic resilience.
“Between 2009 and 2016, the average annual increase in end-user electricity tariffs skyrocketed to 50% per year. In a marked departure from this trend, from 2017 to 2023, the average annual increase was significantly reduced to 11.1%, representing the lowest annual average increase in electricity tariffs for any government since 1992,” he added.