Ghanaians are assured of a reduction in Electrical Energy tarrifs, starting 2018 according to Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko.
Hon. Boakye Agyarko told journalists at the news conference in Accra on Wednesday, September 27 – reduction in tarrifs will be announced during the reading of the 2018 budget, he said.
Boakye Agyarko who has been in office for nine months claimed the intentions of government after taking over was to look at the power supply before a look at the exorbitant prize which was witnessed in 2016.
The Minister then claimed now that the supply of electrical power is stabilized across the four corners of the country, government will steady the charges and reduce certains fees.
“Our next mandate is to reduce the prices which take several forms,” he said.
Ghanaians had been expectant their electricity tariffs would be reduced when Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta presented the 2017 budget but that was not to be.
The New Patriotic Party(NPP) during the 2016 campaign promised a reduction in prize of electricity which has inspired a new level of expectations from users to see to their promise.
Five months into government, the NPP government abolished the excise duty on petroleum and a reduction of special petroleum tax rate from 17.5 percent to 15 percent but that has yet to affect the prices of electricity.
Critics who have not seen a reduction in prices of electricity have taken on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, describing his promise as a “vote-buying” gimmick.
Ghana’s electricity tariff for commercial users is $0.32 per kilowatt hour while domestic users pay $19.28 cents for the same consumption.
But neighbouring Ivory Coast charges $0.13 cents for commercial users per kilowatt hour and $9 cents per kilowatt hour domestic users.
Hon. Boakye Agyarko defined the price disparity is due to the fact that the Francophone country produces cheaper power than Ghana.
“So we have to find a way to reducing the cost of production,” he said, hinting at the readiness of government to drive price reduction in tariffs by next year.
This article was written by George Duah, a multimedia online manager at Focus 1 Media(Spice Fm Online and Beach FM Online) – George Duah can be contacted via gmail account, [email protected], on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook as George Nitro Duah.
