Electricity tariff to up by 220 per cent

The Weekend Agenda carries that electricity tariff is to go up by 220 per cent if the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), agrees to proposals from the Volta River Authority (VRA) to increase tariffs, This is to enable VRA to import crude oil to run Ghana's thermal plants.

According to Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Chief Executive of VRA this has become necessary due to the low level of water in the Akosombo Dam, and mounting debts resulting in threats by Ivory Coast to cut off power supply to Ghana.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Friday, Dr Wereko-Brobby said while the cost of electricity generation and supply is ?432 per Kilo watt/hour, Ghanaians only pay ?194 per kilowatt/hour.

To avert the electricity crisis of 1998, he said Ghanaians have to pay economic price for electricity consumption. "Even though the lake level is low, there should be no panic, there will be supply of power, so long as the public keep their side of the bargain by paying the right price for electricity," he told the conference.