NPP is the only govt to decrease electricity prices in 4th Republic – Bawumia

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has claimed history for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the first government to have reduced electricity tariffs in the fourth Republic.

According to him, in 2018, the country saw a 22% reduction in electricity tariffs and this, he said, is the most significant intervention in the utility sector by the government in recent times.

Addressing participants at the government’s 2020 town hall meeting in Kumasi, on Tuesday, Dr. Bawumia said although there was a rise in electricity prices by 11.7% in 2019, the average for both years still showed a significant reduction in the cost of electricity.

“[In] 2018, we reduced electricity prices by 22% and by the way, this is the first government in the history of the fourth republic that has reduced electricity prices. And in 2019, we increased the prices by 11% but when you take the net between 2019 and 2018, in net terms, since we’ve been in office, we’ve reduced electricity tariffs by 10%.”

“And this has never happened before in the 4th republic and therefore it is a promise we have fulfilled,” he said.

In March 2018, the Public Utility and Regulatory Committee (PURC) announced a 10-30 percent reduction in prices of electricity effective March 15, 2018.

Residential customers had a 17.5% reduction, whilst non-residential customers enjoyed 30% cut.

The mines were also entitled to 10% reduction, with special load tariff customers also enjoying 25% reduction.