Power Tariff Increases Better Than In Mahama’s Era

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that in spite of the recent hike in the utilities, the record of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration regarding electricity tariffs was better than that of the John Mahama administration.

According to the vice president, whiles the NPP government had cumulatively reduced electricity tariff by five per cent, the NDC government increased it by some 166 per cent in its four years in office.

Speaking at the launch of the YEA Job Center at the Bank of Ghana Auditorium at the University of Ghana, Dr. Bawumia indicated that while the NDC has sought to play politics with the recent electricity tariff upward adjustment of 5.94 per cent, the narrative and the facts available indicate that the NPP has done far better than the NDC.

The government in 2018 reduced electricity tariffs by 17.5 per cent for residential, 30 per cent for non-residential and 10 per cent for the mines.

In July this year, the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission announced a tariff increment of 11.17 per cent for electricity and 8.01 per cent for water.

Three months after the last adjustment, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission announced an upward review of electricity by 5.94 per cent.

The vice president said, notwithstanding the recent increment, the cumulative increment under the current government stood at negative five per cent representing a five per cent reduction in electricity tariffs adding that comparing the records of the two administrations was like “boot-for-chalewote”.

BY Nana Kwasi Frimpong