For nearly three years, the BPC has returned losses to its sole shareholder, government, owing mainly to the increasing costs of supplies, material and operations set against virtually static tariffs. While the corporation's rising expenses have been driven by its mandate to electrify the country, government has been hesitant to authorise an onerous tariff increase to households and industry.
The power utility last had a tariff increase in January 2008, when government authorised an average seven percent increase for domestic and industrial tariffs. Describing the BPC as "broke," permanent secretary in the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Gabaake Gabaake revealed that a possible tariff increase for the BPC was being discussed in the Office of the President."I went to the Office of the President today and we are trying to put through a case to say tariffs must go up. There are intricacies that we must jumble about with because the reality is that the BPC is broke.
