Consumers will from 1st September pay 7 per cent more for electricity and 6.72 per cent for water. The latest adjustment was announced Monday afternoon by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC). This is in line with the periodic adjustment of tariffs when the factors that influence production costs change. “For electricity, excluding the lifeline, that is those who are in the zero to 50 unit consumption line, the average increase is 7 percent across board for all categories of consumers. And for water, the increase is 6.72 percent in all areas,” the Vice Chairman of the Technical Committee of the PURC Samuel Sarpong noted. Dr. Emmanuel Annan, Board Chairman of PURC, told the media the Commission has widened its consultation with stakeholders before any decision is taken and reassured that the quantitative quality of service index is being developed, which he said would be incorporated directly into the automatic adjustment system. He said: “The approved tariff is intended to support thermal power producers to procure the needed cargoes of light crude oil that would enable them generate the required electricity through thermal sources.” He explained that there was an increment in water because one-third of the cost of production of the Ghana Water Company Limited is based on electricity, “as such any increase in electricity tariff automatically impact on the operation of GWCL”. Dr Annan acknowledged the investment programmes being undertaken by the utility providers and urged them to improve their performance across the country. Meanwhile, the Association of Ghana Industries has welcomed the increment. Its president Nana Owusu Afari tol Joy FM's Top Story he was happy the automatic adjustment is being used in determining utility increases. He said judging by the price of crude oil, the association “cannot escape accepting this increment…it is ok”. Although he had wished there were no changes because it would certainly affect their cost of production, which would be passed on to consumers, he said: “It is better to have it at 7 per cent than not to have it (electricity) at all.” The Managing Director of Electricity Company of Ghana, Anthony Gyampo, described the increase as necessary and good because it would “help us to continue to produce… at the moment I think it is ok”. He said previous increments have gone a long way to help achieve an appreciable, regular and stable performance. Meanwhile, the increments in water and electricity have attracted swift criticism from the public.