The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper has described as ‘senseless’, reports that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) will introduce new tariffs for utilities.
Kwesi Pratt is of the view that the commission has not provided Ghanaians a realistic tariff over the past years and therefore finds it difficult to understand the sudden hike in utility tariff.
“What does government and the PURC take us for, upon all the energy crisis we are faced with, the only solution is for you to increase utility tariff. It is just senseless” he stated on an Accra based radio station Monday.
The PURC is set to introduce new tariffs for utilities, commencing today Monday, barring any hitch.
This is coming in the wake of a protracted energy crisis known as dumsor, which has bedeviled Ghanaians for over three years, together with perennial water shortages in many communities across the country.
According to reports, electricity is most likely to see an astronomical increment of around 100 percent while water will increase between 50 and 80 percent. In all, the tariff adjustment is within the range of about 200 per cent for ECG, VRA, GRIDCo and Ghana Water.
It is however rumoured that the Mahama-led government is putting pressure on the utilities regulator to increase the tariffs at a time when Ghanaians are experiencing one of the harshest economic conditions.
The veteran journalist believes it is the responsibility of government to provide affordable utilities to all Ghanaians, and it is therefore wrong for government to subject Ghanaians to hardships not of their making.
He urged government to put in place the necessary measures to ensure Ghanaians are not shortchanged in the provision of such basic necessities of life as water and electricity.
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