GHANAIANS woke up yesterday to the news of 14% reduction for non-residential electricity users. According to Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, beginning this month [January 2018] non-residential users of electricity will enjoy an average of 14% tariffs reduction.
THE President’s announcement was aimed at boosting growth in the private sector. The reduction in electricity tariffs by the President also takes into consideration barbers, hairdressers and beauticians who all fall within the bracket of small-scale business.
FOR barbers, we understand the electricity tariff has been cut down to 18% while hairdressers and beauticians will enjoy 15.7% reduction. That of tailors, the President disclosed, will be reduced by 9.8%.
WELL, in our estimation, this is a big enough cushion for non-residential electricity users, looking at how much they would have to spend on power to grow their businesses and make profit.
ELECTRICITY is one critical ingredient without which industrialisation of all kinds would suffer. For a country to become industrialised, it needs a reliable and constant supply of electricity.
THAT was one of the reasons why Today was worried during the dumsor (intermittent power cuts) era. Not just reliable and constant power but one that can be afforded by businesses.
FOR instance, what purpose would it serve if businesses and companies would have to spend loads of money in the purchase of electricity? That will obviously, have an impact adversely on the operational cost of such companies.
IT is in the light of the above that Today is happy at the announcement by the Akufo-Addo administration of the tariffs reduction for non-residential electricity consumers. And though it came as a huge relief to those who will be enjoying this reduction in tariffs, Today believes it will contribute largely towards growing the private sector, which can help propel our economy and provide meaningful jobs for our unemployed population.
WE believe such government interventions are critical if indeed we want all of us to come on board to help grow our economy. That said, we expect those who will benefit from the electricity tariffs reduction to also contribute their quota towards making Ghana a prosperous nation.
FOR after all, if we all play our roles well to make Ghana a prosperous nation, the benefits thereof would be enjoyed by all of us. Once again, we want to seize this opportunity to applaud the efforts of the Akufo-Addo administration in helping to meet us half way. And we hope such interventions will cut across other sections of the economy.