Public utility suppliers are asking for upward tariffs adjustments up to 40 percent owing to increasing cost of production and the volatility of the cedi exchange with other trading currencies like the dollar.
But the tariff increment they are proposing is subject to the approval of the public utility regulatory commission, PURC, which is the regulatory body in charge of their operations.
At a public hearing in respect of 2019 major tariff review held in Tamale, the utility suppliers and distributors such as water and electric power argued that the exchange rate of the cedi to the dollar which is the main value for most of their production material and equipment was soaring their operating costs hence needed some tariff hikes.
The PURC organized the forum which attracted residents including artisans and domestic users of both water and electricity who also made inputs into proposals made by public utility providers such NEDCO, the Ghana Water Company and Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo).
The Director of Commercial Services at the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Bukari Danladi giving the company’s overview and reasons to have upwards tariff review, said power theft, the huge debt owed by government agencies and were huge challenges for NEDCO.
Mr. Danladi said reducing commercial losses, by 50 per cent, improving IT infrastructure and customer care are among strategies being taken by NEDCo to ensure better service delivery.
GRIDCo on the other hand said upwards tariff adjustments are necessary to ensuring that electricity transmission isn’t interrupted unnecessarily in 2019.
For her part; Chief Commercial Manager at Ghana Water Company, Cynthia Afoley Ackah, said sand wining at along the Nawuni and Dalun water plant was hampering their efforts since more chemicals are needed to treat the water supplied to urban homes in the Tamale area.
She also said, the company was using technology to boost operations and that included- an electronic billing system and increasing the outlets to allow customers have stress free repayment of water bills.
