The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has hinted that it will announce the next utility tariff adjustment in June.
The PURC after taking tariff proposals from power companies such as the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) at a public hearing on tariff adjustment on January 14, 2019 announced that new tariffs for 2019 was to take effect from February 1.
However, according to PURC, the announcement was delayed due to the takeover of Power Distribution Services (PDS) from the ECG.
According to the Head of Public Relations at PURC, Bawah Munkaila an accurate tariff adjustment can only be determined after enough data has been gathered from the new service provider.
“We will be coming out with the next tariffs which will be effective from the 1st of July. However we are announcing the tariffs within the month of June because of the takeover by PDS. We are observing some emerging trends and the takeover by PDS and are inculcating it as a condition so that after they start operating, we will be able to take the revenue requirement that is needed by PDS and all that will be inculcated in the tariff. We decided to hold on and give it another quarter to be able to give tariffs that will stand the test of time.”
Meanwhile, whereas NEDCo called for 40 per cent increase in their tariff, GRIDCo, on the other hand, asked for almost 100 per cent increase in tariffs when PURC requested for tariff proposals.
