Business News of Sunday, 19 April 2020
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2020-04-19Coronavirus: ‘Free’ electricity will start May 1 – ECG Boss
Kwame Agyeman-Budu, Managing Director of the ECG
Ghanaians can heave a sigh of relief as the managing director of the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) Kwame Agyeman-Budu says the three months’ free electricity amid coronavirus lockdown will take effect from May 1.
According to him, his outfit is working around the clock to make sure that plans by the government to absorb electricity bills
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The ECG will ensure that electricity bills for all lifeline customers (persons who consume zero to 50 kilowatts-hours a month) will be fully adsorbed by the government.
The ECG boss explains the “non-lifeline prepaid and post-paid customers (Residential and Commercial) will enjoy Fifty Percent (50%) reliefs on their electricity consumption in April, May and June using their March 2020 consumption as the benchmark.”
He also added that “all the reliefs will be implemented from 1st May 2020. As we commend the president for the swift and decisive manner in which the COVID-19 global health pandemic is being handled let us also abide fully by the health guidelines,”
The President, announced three months of free electricity for consumers of a particular category, to make up for lost income following the coronavirus lockdown in Accra and Kumasi.
Addressing the nation in a televised broadcast, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the decision is part of additional measures being taken by government to mitigate the impact the outbreak of the virus is having on the public.
“We’ve decided on further measures of mitigation for all Ghanaians for the next three months, i.e April, May and June. Government will fully absorb electricity bills for the poorest of the poor, i.e, for all consumers. That is free electricity for persons who consume from 0-50 kilowatt-hours a month for this period,” the President told the nation.
In addition, the President said the government will also absorb 50% of electricity bills for consumers in residential areas as well as those engaged in commercial activities during the period using their March 2020 bill as the benchmark.
“This is being done to support industry, enterprises and the service sector in these difficult times and to provide some reliefs to households for loss income,” he explained.
