Flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo has stressed the need for an immediate reduction in electricity tariffs.
Speaking in response to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) directive to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to suspend the implementation of their new billing software, Nana Addo insisted that even more should be done to alleviate the pressure brought on by the new tariffs.
The PURC late last year sanctioned an increase of 59.2 percent and 67.2 percent for electricity and water tariffs respectively.
But businesses and individuals expressed displeasure with the increases which they described as astronomical.
The NPP flagbearer reiterated customers’ concerns explaining that the rates being paid by industries, for example, left them in a noncompetitive position comparing to countries in the sub-region like the Ivory Coast.
“I think the matter is more fundamental and should go further than that. If you look at the rates we are charging industry, as well as domestic users for electricity in Ghana, comparing for instance to Cote d’Ivoire, already it puts our enterprises in a noncompetitive comparison. Ghanaian industry and economic activities are suffering unnecessarily,” Nana Addo stated.
Nana Addo further indicated that the high tariffs are in part due to what he described as the “insatiable appetite” of this government for taxes.
“A large part of it is due to the taxes, the insatiable appetite of the Mahama government for taxes – 10% energy levy which is charged for both domestic and commercial uses; a service charge of GH¢7 flat rate for every consumer and a VAT of 17½% for commercial users.”
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