As citizens and stakeholders await the new tariffs from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Maxwell Kotoka, Corporate Communications Manager of Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), says if their call for nearly a 40 percent upward tariff adjustment to meet hikes in distribution charges, goes unheeded, their operations will severely be hampered.
“Without the approval of the 40 percent upward tariff, we can’t operate at an optimal level but we believe the PURC knows the realities on the field better and will factor today’s concerns and future needs when settling on the new tariffs,” he submitted.
NEDCo reckons an upward review would relatively upsurge the Distribution Service Charge (DSC) pegged at GHc0.307555/kWh in 2018 to GHc0.430526/kWh to finance its operations in 2019.
In accordance with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 (Act 538), the PURC initiated processes for the examination and approval of electricity and water tariffs for 2019. The Commission has examined proposals from the utility companies while organising a forum for interested organizations, groups and the general public to deliberate and share viewpoints.
Although the new tariffs were to be announced on February 1, its now been scheduled for March 1, 2019 following the extension of the take-over of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) by Messrs Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited and also because utility service providers need sufficient time to adjust their machines and data.
ECG proposed 23 Ghana pesewas upward tariff adjustment per kilowatt hour (23p/KWh), GRIDCo 4.897 Ghana pesewas per kilowatt hour (4.897p/KWh), NEDCo 43 Ghana pesewas per kilowatt hour (43p/KWh) while EPC proposed 26 Ghana pesewas per kilowatt hour (26p/KWh) for the 2019 Utility Tariff Review.
At the public forum last month, representatives from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and Enclave Power Company Limited (EPC) were all in session.
By Michael Eli Dokosi/goldstreetbusiness.com
