Ghana: PURC Meet Stakeholders on New Tariffs Hike

BY ANIN AGYEI-

NEW AFRICA DAILY  NEWS, Accra- GHANA, PUBLIC Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) of Ghana has meet with it stakeholders in Takoradi on its 2019/2020 major tariff decision.

The stakeholders engagement is aimed at exposing the public to the approved tariffs agreed upon by the commission and utility providers such as the Ghana Water and the Electricity company.

A Senior Manager in charge of Regulatory Economic, Mr. Robert Saka Addo, told the stakeholders that understanding the underpinning issues of the 2019/2020 electricity and Water tariffs was critical in finding a way forward.

Mr. Addo said the engagement will also create a platform for key stakeholders to understand the processes and factors leading to a tariff decision.

He said tariffs decision over the years had been taken without real engagement with the affected people, a situation the commission had taken upon itself to resolve to build trust and ensure transparency in the system.

The Director for Regional Operations, Alhaji Abukari Jabaru, said inflation, technical losses were key factors that contributed to price differentials in the payment of such services.

Alhaji Jabaru also mentioned illegal connections and unreported pipe burst as some of the challenges leading to high tariffs.

The stakeholders queried PURC officials about excess charges on meters and other unproved fees purported to be collected by some officials.

BY ANIN AGYEI, NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS, AFRICA CORRESPONDENT

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