After the last price review of tariffs three months ago, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission- PURC has announced an upward review of electricity by 5.94%.
Also in the announcement by PURC, water tariffs have also been increased by 2.22% effective today October 1, 2019.
Therefore, the combined increment in tariffs by the PURC which takes effective from today October 1, 2019, is 8%.
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In a statement copied tp Ghanatalksbusiness, the commission explained, the increase in tariffs was determined by the Automatic Adjustment Formula (AAF) which considers eight factors including inflation, in arriving at a review.
Meawhile, Industry players and ordinary Ghanaians expressed mixed reactions to the 11.7 per cent increase in the electricity tariffs announced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission which took effect from July 1.
Though the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) described the increment as long overdue, it described as unfair, the blanket figure of 11.7 per cent announced by the commission for both domestic and industrial consumers of electricity.
The Executive Director of ACEP, Mr Ben Boakye, who spoke to Journalists after the announcement months ago, also said the tariffs should have been announced early enough for people to prepare for the adjustment.
He stressed that the PURC ought to have quoted a lower figure for industrial consumers of electricity since high cost of power impacted negatively on businesses.
“We were hoping that the PURC will announce a much lower figure of say eight per cent for industrial consumers and perhaps 15 per cent for domestic consumers.
“In any part of the world, businesses pay less for power as compared with domestic users because the businesses create jobs and propel economic growth so they need cheaper and reliable power,” he said.
He urged the PURC to be proactive and ensure sustainability in the adjustment of electricity tariffs.
“The PURC should not wait for things to get out of hand before they announce increment in tariffs,” he added.
