Uncategorized

Ghana Water Company decries 1% tariff increment

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWLC) has described the one percent

increment announced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission

(PURC) yesterday as woefully inadequate.

According to the company, the slight increase and existing huge debts

would hamper their operations and affect water supply.

Public Relations Officer of the water company Stanley Martey told Joy

News that “the tariffs that have been given are woefully inadequate

and will affect our operations”.

The PURC announced a one percent increase in water and a 2.6 percent

increase in electricity which will take effect on April 1, 2015.

The Commission explains that the rise is necessary for the electricity

distribution Company’s maintenance and also, that the water company

had complied with regulations.

However, Stanley Martey told Joy News the one percent increment will

not be enough because water provision is capital intensive.

He said the amount will not allow the company to make enough profit to

settle its debt and do more investment.

Meanwhile, some consumers are rejecting the new tariffs.

Some of them who spoke to Joy News said the increment was a “rip-off’

and will not change anything.

The most important thing to do now, in their view is to fix the many

problems the utility providers are plagued with. When that is done

consumers will pay anything they are charged.

Others are also of the view that because April 1 is April fool’s Day,

the increment in the utility tariff is was probably just a prank.

In July last year, the PURC adjusted utility tariffs. Electricity went

up by 6.1 percent while water tariffs were increased by 12 percent.

This was after Ghanaians had for more than one year been enduring

power and water rationing.

Later that same year in September, another tariff adjustment was

announced. This saw a 6.54 percent increase in electricity while water

went up by 4.54 percent.

The Commission said the marginal increase was necessitated by the

shift to crude oil for generation of power, occasioned by erratic gas

supply from Nigeria.

Many have expressed frustrations at the development, but the managers

of the power systems say it is the only way they can provide adequate

services – especially when the power crisis has gotten worse.

The increase in tariffs, although marginal, is set to upset many consumers.

Credit: Myjoyonline.com

Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku

I am a Ghanaian Broadcast Journalist/Writer who has an interest in General News, Sports, Entertainment, Health, Lifestyle and many more.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button