Ishmael Agyakumhene
The Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) says some industries and service providers have resorted to the use of generator sets due to the high cost of electricity.
PURC Technical Committee Chairman, Ishmael Agyakumhene, who made the disclosure, said some hoteliers appealed to the commission to put them on prepaid meters instead of postpaid in 2018.
Speaking at a consultation meeting in Kumasi for utility service providers to present a proposal for upward adjustment of electricity and water tariffs for the 2019-2023 tariff period, Mr. Agyakumhene indicated that a “movement beyond 600 megawatts is too high.”
The meeting brought together six utility providers namely: Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO), Power Distribution Services Limited (PDS), Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and Enclave Power Company Limited (EPC).
According to him, all the companies have proposed to PURC for an upward adjustment in tariffs to enhance their revenue generation.
“Consumers could pay more for the use of electricity and water in the coming months, but the quantum would be different from what the companies have proposed to the PURC.”
Mr. Agyakumhene said despite the frustrations of the utility companies, the 2018 tariff reduction was made based on economic reasons.
He said while some of the companies recorded losses, others got their calculations wrong.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi