Report by: Ben LARYEA
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced that Quarterly Tariff Adjustment (QTA) review came to the fore as a result of changes in the exchange rate, price of natural gas, inflation, hydro-thermal mx among others.
According to the Commission, two adjustments are to be reviewed which are the major tariff adjustments and quarterly adjustments indicating that the quarterly adjustments are looking at the exchange rate, inflation, and energy mix.
The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Dr. Ishmael Ackah made these known at a tariff education program organized by the Commission at the West African Centre (WACBIP) of the University of Ghana campus in Accra.
Cross Section of students at the programme
The one-day programme seeks to educate students on the QTA guidelines and reviews to enable them to be abreast with the emerging trends in the tariff space and solicit views from students as part of the drive to collate data to enhance tariffs for the growth and development of the country.
“The University of Ghana is the first tertiary institution the Commission has engaged as fervent preparations have been put in place to engage nine other universities across the country”, he said and explained that the move forms part of a regional sensitization exercise in Greater Accra Region of which the Commission has previously engaged Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
Turning the spotlight on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Ackah said the Quarterly review has nothing to do with the IMF programme saying the Commission since 2021 was operating without a board hence PURC did not implement the Quarterly Tariff Adjustment and further stressed that it was to implement tariffs adjustment.
Cross Section of students at the programme
The Executive Secretary pointed out that the IMF programme which the government is spearheading has no bearing on the QTA noting that per the Commission guidelines, tariffs must be reviewed to give customers the needed comfort by minimizing the effect of changes in the macroeconomic and market-driven variables.
The PURC In this regard have engaged industry players, particularly trade associations, businesses, and consumers in the tariff value chain of the way forward in utility tariff adjustments thus tertiary institutions have been brought on board to make inputs in the QTA since they are large consumers.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
