The Minority Members of the Energy Committee in Parliament have declared their firm stance against any further hikes in electricity tariffs unless the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) makes substantial improvements in its service delivery.
Despite a recent 14.75% increase in tariffs, they argue that ECG has failed to make any significant headway in addressing its long-standing issues with commercial losses, which have ballooned into a massive GHc67 billion debt owed to power producers.
According to the Minority, this financial mismanagement is a primary contributor to the company’s consistent underperformance. The concerns were voiced during a meeting with key energy sector agencies, where George Kwame Aboagye, the Ranking Member of the Committee, stressed that any new tariff hikes should not be entertained until tangible results in performance are seen from ECG. He emphatically stated, “We said we would not accept or agree to a new tariff, and we stand by that. We want to see performance first.”
Naser Toure Mahama, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, added that ECG needs to remove bottlenecks in meter acquisition to facilitate smooth and timely access for consumers.
He emphasized that overcoming this challenge would not only improve customer satisfaction but also drive revenue for the company.
“People on the waiting list for meters need to be prioritized,” he pointed out. “Ensuring customers can get meters quickly will directly translate to increased payments and revenue for ECG, which is crucial for their financial health.”
In summary, the Minority is demanding immediate action from ECG to improve its operational efficiency, urging the company to resolve its commercial losses and implement measures that will enable customers to access electricity services more effectively. Only when these improvements are seen will they be open to discussing further tariff hikes.
