Ben Ephson: It Would Be Unconscionable To Increase Electricity Tariff

Renowned Pollster and Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson says it would not be morally acceptable for electricity tariff to be increased at this time, when supply to the consumer is erratic. �Clearly people are now coming to terms they need to pay a bit more, but it would be unconscionable�it would not be within reason that in the midst of the �dum so dum so�, you ask people to pay more,� he told Radio Gold in an interview. His comment comes on the heels of demands being made by the Volta River Authority (VRA) for an upward adjustment of electricity tariffs to boost the company�s finances to provide better services. The utility services providers claim the increment would ensure sustainability of their operations, and it is therefore imperative for the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) to stick to regular tariff adjustments to reflect cost of generation. The upward adjustment of the tariffs, the Senior Journalist beliefs must come, but he is calling for it to be done at the right time to avert public from venting their spleen on the government. Ben Ephson however explained that; �I believe that when things regularize; and even if there is going to a power cut, it is going to be one of those that are announced ahead of time. People would obviously see the difference and then people would pay more, but then, people would be a bit more responsive�.