Despite the ongoing power and water disruptions, PURC supports tariff hikes.
During an interview on Joy FM’s Middaynews on Monday, April 14, Dr Obutey addressed the concerns of citizens. They are dealing with blackouts and water shortages. He stressed that utility service providers are following regulatory benchmarks established by the Commission.
According to him, we use specific benchmarks to track utilities. These include system losses, both technical and commercial. We also track the length of outages per consumer. Our most recent evaluations show that these benchmarks are being met, suggesting that the service providers comply.
The public’s frustration is mounting. It is clear that many consumers are outraged. They have to pay increased tariffs without receiving reliable services.
Dr Obutey states that equipment malfunctions are common in utility operations. Disruptions can often be attributed to scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.
“These are machines. They will break down from time to time. Planned maintenance is usually communicated ahead of time—anywhere from two hours to two weeks in advance. But when faults occur unexpectedly, companies may not have time to notify the public,” he remarked.