14-08-13
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| Regional Director of GBC URA Radio taking his turn during an open forum |
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| Mr Francis Kusi, Dir of Finance and Commercial VRA/NEDCo |
Narration: Stakeholders at a day’s public forum in Bolgatanga has kicked against the proposed upward adjustment of electricity tariff, saying any tariff increment without due consideration could worsen the plight of domestic consumers as well as businesses. According to them utility service providers have over the years taken consumers for granted and therefore do not have any moral justification to increase tariffs at the expense of providing consumers with better quality of service. Whilst condemning utility service providers for their poor services, some participants were of the view tariffs could be increased on annual basis to help meet their operational cost rather than imposing regular charges on customers. Isaac Asare has more for Radio Ghana.
Report
The stakeholders meeting involving MDCEs, heads of various departments and educational institutions including a cross section of the public forms part of a national exercise being conducted by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission PURC to enable officials of the Volta River Authority and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (VRA-NEDCO) to explain the essence for tariff review. The primary focus was to ensure equitable and reliable power distribution in Northern Ghana and beyond. It was on the theme: ‘The Past, Present and the Future. NEDco, a subsidiary of VRA proposed review of the distribution charge from the existing figure of GHp 9.88 per kilowatt hour to GHp24.07kwh, representing 144 percent. The astronomical increase as described by stakeholders is subject to the approval of the PURC and it is intended to support the service providers enhance their service delivery. The proposed upward review was to also help NEDco widen its coverage in under-served areas including parts of Volta and Brong Ahafo. Reacting to concerns raised at the forum, the Director of Finance and Commercial of the VRA-NEDCO, Mr Francis Kusi said his outfit is in the process of carrying out major expansion works at strategic project sites and are considering replacing ageing distribution network nationwide, hence the need for consumers to comply with the new tarrif. This, he noted, would enable the company provide efficient and reliable service to its growing clients. Moreover distribution network mapping and data capture as well as the upgrade and replacement of the overloaded transformers would also be carried out to improve the reliability and quality of supply from the transmission and sub-transmission systems. Mr Kusi was optimistic that with the support of stakeholders, NEDCo was poised to provide communities with sub power–station and pre-paid meters with ease. He however denounced the widespread notion that prepaid meters were expensive in its usage as compared to the manual meter system, which he noted was incurring huge debt for the company. The prepaid meters, he moreover explained were certified to meet international standards and was introduced to help tackle collection loses and illegal connections among other negativities. The meters, he moreover warned was the preferred choice and must not be tampered with since they have been subjected to test by the PURC. The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna -Muniru who chaired the function implored stakeholders to complement the effort of PURC and its service providers in ensuring quality service delivery.
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