Tariff Increment: We Will Protest And The Police Cannot Stop Us - Kabila

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) have been accused of relegating their duties as a regulatory body and assuming the role of �only increasing tariffs�. Former National Youth Organiser of the Convention People�s Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bonfeh, also known as Kabila indicated that some of the duties of the PURC is to look at service delivery of the utility providers, equipments of the service providers, �how management goes about their duties and so on�it is a regulatory commission but they are not doing their work as expected.� Kabila was speaking on the recent increment in utility tariffs announced by the PURC. The Commission indicated a 78.9% in electricity and 52% in water to help the service providers to be apt in their delivery and to recover cost. This has however, been welcomed with hostility and condemnation. Kabila said the tariff increment would have been justified had the service providers discharged their duties diligently and efficiently; �however, anytime tariffs are increased, their efficiency in terms of service delivery goes down." �We have to look at the mandate of the PURC. It seems like what they are good at is only increasing tariffs�There must be a relationship between the increment and the service rendered. It must be equal but that is not the case� increment according to them is to make their work efficient and to provide quality of service but it has been on the decline. There has been consistent decline� he said in a panel discussion on �Kokrokoo�. Kabila said there is no way Ghanaians are going to pay the increment and indicated that preparations are far advanced to embark on a massive protest the �the country has ever witnessed� to announce their dissatisfaction on the increment. In his analysis, �there is a lot of organization going on and some of us are actively engaging in them and we will lead� this is not political; it is going to be Ghana versus the managers of our economy� I want to sound this note of caution to the police; we will notify you and whether you like it or not we will match. We are tired of the excuses��