Produce Reckoner For New Electricity Tariffs― Jinapor

Former Deputy Minister for Power for the Erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, has asked the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), to produce a reckoner that would educate the general public on the actual break down of the recently announced reduction on electric tariffs.

According to him, the availability of a new reckoner would help energy experts in specific and Ghanaians in general to analyse whether the PURC’s pronounced reduction is substantial or not.

Speaking on Radio Gold’s Power Drive, on Tuesday, the former Power Minister explained that the reckoner is a document used to facilitate the calculations of tariffs which tells the exact amount to be paid for a specific electricity unit, and further accused the PURC of deceiving the public by promising them a deduction that was not in sight.

He said the PURC had bypassed the most recent tariffs―2016, 2017 and 2018 and rather based their reductions on 2015 charges. This he said was an act of dishonesty on the part of PURC.

“The PURC decided that the 17.5% will be on 2015 tariffs…the 2017 figures which is the current is very low. The 2015 figures were high…the tariffs were low before we left office. If you go and use the higher bracket of 2015 and reduce it, you might think that you are doing something very big but in effect, you’re doing nothing,” he said.

Mr Jinapor continued: “I am putting it on authority and let me state clearly that post 15^th March, you should not expect 17% reduction in your end user tariff.”

GFL not Impressed

Meanwhile the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) is cold on the intervention supposed to ease the burden of high cost of production for its members.

The PURC had announced a 30% reduction in electricity tariffs for non-residential consumers but the GFL says it is not enough to make the cost of doing business in Ghana manageable.

According to the General Secretary of the federation, Mr Abraham Koomson, “If you want industries to grow, you don’t take such piece meal actions thinking that it would work.”

“… a number of issues account for the high cost of production. Electricity is one of it and we have the VAT, statutory duties and fuel, high cost of raw material, counterfeiting of locally produced designs…if they don’t address these challenges, they should forget about it,” he said.

“If you are sick and you go to hospital and they prescribe paracetamol, antibiotics and other drugs and you go and buy only paracetamol, and you think you will recover, you will die,” he added.

New Tariffs

The PURC on Monday, announced a general reduction in electricity tariffs expected to take effect from March 15, 2018.

Residential customers per the new tariff cuts would see a 17.5% reduction, while non-residential customers would enjoy 30% re.

Those in the mining sector were however given a 10% tariff cut, and 25% cut for Special Load Tariff Customers (LV, MV & HV).

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]