Gov't extends free water by another 3 months, 50% electricity reduction

Utility consumers are to enjoy free water and 50% electricity reduction supplies for the next three months.

It follows plans by the government to extend the free electricity and water relief packages that ended in May for three more months.

The new measure was announced in the mid-year budget review that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, presented to Parliament today.

 He said this is because the government puts the concerns and aspirations of the ordinary Ghanaian first.

READ ALSO: Covid-19 free water for Ghanaians ends today

“That is also why we further reduced electricity prices by half and completely provided potable water for free for everybody since March this year. And we will extend it for another three months,” 

According to the Minister, the free water initiative would be for all water consumers while the electricity supply would be limited to only lifeline consumers.

“It takes a caring government of the people, and with that, I mean, a Government of all the people, to offer cost-free water to all across the country: representing all domestic and commercial customers in Ghana for three months. 

“It takes a caring government to be for the people and for business, large and small, to choose to subsidise electricity consumption by 50 per cent to 4,086,286 households and 686,522 businesses at a cost of ¢1.02 billion in three months. And we will extend the coverage for lifeline customers for another three months,” he said.

This brings to six months, the number of months that water and electricity supplies have been subsidised to help consumers cope with the economic challenges of arising from the raging novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In the first instance, the government absorbed the water and electricity costs for all consumers in the case of water and lifeline consumers in the case of electricity.