Only 36% of businesses described electricity as very or mostly reliable – KPMG, UNDP survey

A survey by professional services firm KPMG and the United Nations Development Programme has revealed that only 36% of businesses described electricity as very or mostly reliable.

Forty-seven percent also experienced occasional interruptions and 44% prioritised affordable and predictable tariffs.

The survey highlights the combined effect of power interruptions, affordability and billing.

The report stated that the government and sector institutions should prioritise feeder-level reliability, meter accuracy, complaint resolution and the disclosure of service-quality performance in productive areas.

“A tariff hold can provide stability but cannot substitute for operational improvement. ECG distribution reform should address billing accuracy, technical and commercial losses and a transparent treatment of public-service obligations”, the report stated.

It pointed out that the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) November review also highlighted the importance of completing the delayed audit of Electricity Company of Ghana collection accounts, adding any extended-hours tariff arrangement must be evaluated against cost recovery and actual electricity demand.

The focus-group participants identified billing disputes and power interruptions as operational constraints affecting production and cash-flow planning.

They therefore want better metering, distribution performance and transparent service standards, describing them as essential for reliable production.

Seventy-five percent of the respondents surveyed were male, while 66.1% reside in the Greater Accra region.