加纳能源部长 Matthew Opoku Prempeh 透露，为了解决该国能源成本高企的问题，政府正在考虑对某些行业征收特殊关税，以帮助它们提高竞争力。

这是因为加纳工业协会 (AGI) 对该国的高电成本表示了一些抱怨和担忧，部分原因是行业补贴住宅用电和电价远高于地区平均水平. 目前，该国的平均电价为每千瓦 15.5 美分，而邻国科特迪瓦为每千瓦 10.5 美分。

正是出于这个原因，部长表示，他的部门正在探索向钢铁、铝土矿/铝、化肥和陶瓷等战略行业出售电力和天然气的特殊工业关税的前景，因为这些行业将成为利用非洲大陆自由贸易区 (AfCFTA) 的关键。

“与其他西非国家相比，商业和工业部门的终端用户电力和燃料价格相对昂贵。

“预计这些关税改革将支持国家发展目标，例如根据政府的‘加纳超越援助’议程增加税收、工业化和创造就业机会，”他在阿克拉举办的加纳工业峰会和展览会上说。由 AGI。

除了家庭和工业消费者的高昂电力成本外，另一个困扰能源部门的问题是持续的电力损失。目前，据估计，该国约 25% 的电力在零售端流失。

这些归因于破旧的基础设施（技术损失）以及电力盗窃或商业损失。该国的电力损失是撒哈拉以南非洲平均水平 12% 的两倍多。

在大多数情况下，消费者承担着为分销系统中的这些损失和其他低效率支付的责任 -- AGI 一直在反对这种情况。

部长说，这需要采取紧急措施，因为结束问题将有助于降低电力成本。

“你们都会同意我的看法，我们目前的关税结构不利于工业化；此外，电力部门的高配电损失不能导致经济的可持续发展，” Opoku Prempeh 博士说。

因此，他保证政府正在能源领域采取谨慎的活动和措施，重点是刺激工业增长和竞争力。

其中包括能源部门复苏税、现金瀑布机制、精简审慎部门投资、弥合部门资金缺口以及提高效率以降低运营成本——他说，所有这些都将有助于降低电力成本。不久的将来。

Gov’t Ponders Special Power Tariffs For Some Industries

To address the high energy cost industry bears in the country, government is considering introducing special tariffs for some sectors in order to help them become competitive, Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh has revealed.

This comes on the back of several complaints and concerns expressed by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) regarding the high cost of power in the country, which is partly due to industry subsiding residential use of power and tariffs which are way above the regional average. Currently, the country’s tariff averages 15.5 cents per kilowatt against 10.5 cents per kilowatt in neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire.

It is for this reason the minister says his ministry is exploring the prospects of a special industrial tariff for sale of electricity and natural gas to strategic industries such as iron/steel, bauxite/aluminium, fertiliser and ceramics, among others, as these sectors will be key to taking advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“End-user electricity and fuel tariffs for the commercial and industrial sectors are relatively expensive when compared with other West African nations.

“It is expected that these tariff reforms would support national development objectives such as increased tax revenue, industrialisation and employment creation in accordance with government’s ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda,” he said during the Ghana Industrial Summit and Exhibition held in Accra that was organised by the AGI.

Aside from the high cost of power for both domestic and industrial consumers, another problem that has become an albatross around the energy sector’s neck is persistent power losses. Currently, it is estimated that about 25 percent of electricity generated in the country is lost at the retail end.

These are attributed to dilapidated infrastructure (technical losses), as well as electricity theft or commercial losses. The country’s power losses are more than double the sub-Saharan Africa average of 12 percent.

And in most cases, it is the consumer that is tasked with the burden of paying for these losses and other inefficiencies in the distribution system – a situation the AGI has consistently fought against.

This, the minister said, requires that urgent steps be taken, as putting an end to the problem will be helpful in bringing the cost of power down.

“You will all agree with me that our current tariff structure does not favour industrialisation; also, high distribution losses in the power sector cannot lead to sustainable development of the economy,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh said.

He therefore assured that government is pursuing prudent activities and measures in the energy sector which are focused on stimulating industrial growth and competitiveness.

Among them are included the Energy Sector Recovery Levy, the cash waterfall mechanism, streamlining prudent sector investments, bridging the sector funding gap, and improving efficiencies to reduce operational cost – all of which, he said, will contribute to making cost of power cheaper in the near-future.

来源：B & FT Online

编译：草语云言