According to Ms. Sowah Adjoa Della, deputy ranking member of the Mines and Energy Committee, the Committee advised the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) to make sure that the tariff increment was not done in a way that will affect the average Ghanaian, but the PURC disregarded their advice.
She claims that the PURC was recommended to use the profit from the sale of crude oil to help the average Ghanaian, but it refused and came to the decision to increase the tariffs.
Following stakeholder input, the PURC approved raising the price of water and energy by 21.55% and 27.15%, respectively, as of 1 September 2022.
The average end user is primarily covered by the aforementioned increment.
“The Commission consequently decided to increase the average end-user price for electricity by 27.15% and for water by 21.55% effective 1st September, 2022,” the PURC stated in a statement on Monday.
In accordance with section 3(c) of the PURC Act 1997 (Act 538), it was explained that “These rates, in view of the Commission, are attentive and responsive to the viewpoints of all stakeholders in the utility arena.”
“PURC spoke with us, but we told them that with the hike they want to do, it will affect the ordinary Ghanaian and so they should go and check how they will do it in a way that it will not affect the ordinary Ghanaian,” Ms. Sowah Adjoa Della said on Atinka FM’s morning program, AM Drive with Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.
“Fortunately, the price of crude oil has increased, so the government will earn from the high price of the commodity. We advised them to use the additional profit to help the average Ghanaian in the electrical sector.
They ignored the counsel we offered them despite it.
“You need more money, but your efficiency level is not good, so you are losing revenue in some locations, the service providers indicated they required more money to perform their task, and we also said they needed to be more efficient,” she continued.
You stated that you wanted to raise the rates, but consider how the average Ghanaian lives.
“The cost of living is extremely high, making it difficult for many people to make ends meet; therefore, you should consider the profit you are making from oil revenue and use some of that to help the average Ghanaian.
However, Ms. Sowah Adjoa Della lamented that nothing could be done to change the current tariff.
However, she emphasized that given the situation facing Ghanaians, service providers must be effective in their operations.