Business News of Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Source: peacefmonline.com

NDC will provide cheaper electricity tariffs for industries than consumers - Asiedu Nketia

Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress

One of the campaign manifesto promises of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) according to Johnson Asiedu Nketia is to dedicate the cheaper source of electricity like the hydro to industries in order to make industrial production grow.

According to him, the NDC's next government intends to provide cheaper electricity tariffs to the industries in order to help expand the economy and create more job opportunities for Ghanaians.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the NDC General Secretary insisted that the industries in the country should be made to use cheaper tariffs.

"We can therefore dedicate the cheaper source of electricity like the hydro to the industry so that industrial production will grow and by the provision of cheaper electricity tariff, it will help expand the economy and create more job opportunities for Ghanaians."

Elsewhere, those industries that use bulk electricity have cheaper tariffs because they enjoy the economic of scale than consumers. It is only in Ghana that consumers enjoy cheaper electricity tariffs than industries.

He emphasized that under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama as President of Ghana, the NDC government will find a way of addressing that issue so that electricity cost to industry will be cheaper for job creation to increase.

Commenting on the ‘light-up Ghana’ in the NDC manifesto, Mr. Asiedu Nketia indicated that the street lights which Ghanaians are made to pay whenever they buy electricity from the ECG will go into taking care of the street lights challenge in the country.

“What it means is that we have seen that every Ghanaian that pays for the electricity, there is a certain percentage of the money that goes into the street lights. All these monies go to the ECG but we don’t know how those monies go into the provision of street lights in the country,” he said.

He stressed that the NDC government will create a new institution where all those street light monies from the electricity bills will go to in order to focus on the provision and maintenance of street lights in the country

“We have to isolate those monies and use the monies for the purpose for which Ghanaians are being charged for," he stressed.

He again said that the next NDC government led by former President John Mahama will ensure that there will be electricity at every corner of the country by 2025; adding that the government will provide electricity for all as well as ensure the provision of water for all.