Monrovia – In a bid to make electricity cheap and affordable, the Liberia Electricity Corporation has announced a reduction in its tariff from $0.49 to $0.39 per kilowatt hour, beginning March 1, 2017.
Report by J.H. Webster Clayeh – [email protected]
Addressing a press conference at the headquarters of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) on Thursday, the chairman of LEC Board of Directors, Ian Yhap, said a reduction in the tariff is a clear manifestation of the government’s commitment to provide affordable electricity to the people of Liberia.
“As our generation increases, we intend to extend our customer base through improvement in the transmission and distribution systems and commensurately continue to reduce tariff as the cost of service dictates,” Mr. Yhap said.
As the tariff has been reduced, he asserted that the LEC is relying on its numerous customers and the public to desist from the pilfering of electricity.
“Being cognizant of the fact that access to electricity is essential to achieving sound economic growth and development, customers and the general public are assured of the continuous commitment of government to provide constant and affordable electricity to the people of Liberia,” he added.
The dropped in tariff however comes as a result of regional cooperation from TRANSCO CLSG – a regional electricity transmission company that is already turning on the switch in Ganta and Harper, to be followed by Zwedru and Fish Town, at an affordable price of twenty-five cents per kilowatt hour.
With a segment of the Mount Coffee Hydro completed, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during her final annual message to the nation said the construction of the reservoir will ensure that the hydro plant has sufficient water to generate electricity throughout the year.
“This would ensure a continued reduction in the cost of electricity, which will drop, next month, from forty-nine to thirty-nine cents per kilowatt hour. However, I must caution that these cost reductions are unlikely to be sustained if we continue to face power thefts.
Already in the past thirty days, we have arrested 318 persons suspected of this crime,” President Sirleaf said during her last annual address to the nation.