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Deputy Minister of Communication, Felix Kwakye in an endorsement of the position of President John Dramani Mahama to make Ghanaians pay realistic money for effecient electricity power supply says government can no longer continue to pay subsidy on electricity.

According to him, the subsidy payment affects the budget of the government as over GH¢600 million annually is used to support the operations of the utility service providers; thus such money could have been used for developmental projects to benefit Ghanaians.

Speaking on Okay Fm’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Felix Kwakye Ofosu says it is time to discuss wholeheartedly the financial viabilities of Electricity Company of Ghana and Ghana Water Company Limited as their operational cost always outweighs the point of selling.

He stressed this long existing challenge of the utility service providers for many years has made it impossible for them to provide effective service to Ghanaians and thereby relying on government for financial support to serve the country.

He hinted that whenever government is unable to pay subsidy to the utility service providers it truncates to debt making their operations inefficient.

“This is why the President is urging the PURC and the utility service providers in their negotiation should reach a point where we can pay more for quality service…the truth is that the subsidy payment is affecting the budget of government because money which could have been used for other developmental projects are used to pay subsidy,” he stated.

“Government annually pays GH¢600 million to GH¢700 million subsidies to support the operations of Electricity and water and this has been a big problem for all governments in the past…if this continues, it will be unbearable for any successive government,” he added.

Taking inspiration from the deregulation of petroleum products, the deputy Communication minister said the problems associated with water and electricity supplies will end just as there is no longer problem with pricing petroleum products if there is a way to pay realistic prices for water and electricity.

He insisted paying realistic price for water and electricity will harness the financial viabilities of ECG and the Water Company to give better services than the country is receiving; reiterating “it is up to consumers to do something to help improve on their services to us”.

He adjudicated that “if we don’t help them and they collapse, the consequences will be grievous blow than what we would be paying to the service providers”.