General functions of the Commission. 22A Entrenched rights

(1) It shall be the duty of the Commission to ensure that the services rendered by a public utility undertaking operated by a public utility provider (hereinafter referred to as “utility services”) are satisfactory and that the charges imposed in respect of those services are reasonable, and for this purpose, 18 notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law, the Commission shall have the power, (a) to enquire into the nature and extent of utility services and to determine and prescribe in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the Electricity Act, Cap. 221, the Telecommunications Act, Cap. 229, the Water and Sewerage Act, Cap. 222, and other subsidiary legislation made under these Acts, the standards which must be maintained in relation to such services; (b) to determine and prescribe in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the Electricity Act, Cap. 221, the Telecommunications Act, Cap. 229, the Water and Sewerage Act, Cap. 222, and other subsidiary legislation made under these Acts, the rates which may be charged in respect of utility services. (2) The Commission shall exercise the functions assigned or transferred to it under this Act and other laws in a manner which it considers is best calculated to, (a) secure that all reasonable demands for utility services are satisfied; (b) secure that licence holders are able to finance the carrying on of the activities which they are authorized by their licences to carry on; (c) protect the interest of consumers in respect of, (i) the tariffs charged and the other terms of supply; (ii) the continuity of supply; and 19 (iii) the quality of the utility services supplied; (d) promote efficiency and economy on the part of persons authorized by licences to supply utility services to consumers; (e) promote research into and the development and use of new techniques by or on behalf of persons authorized by a licence to supply utility services; (f) protect the public from dangers arising from the supply of utility services; and (g) secure the establishment and maintenance of machinery for promoting the health and safety of persons employed in the supplying of utility services, and the Commission has a duty to take into account, in exercising those functions, the effect on the physical environment of activities connected with the supply of utility