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Some angry residents of Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region, are threatening to beat up workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the area, if authorities fail to reduce what they say are extremely high tariffs they are being made to pay for power. The irate residents, who embarked on a protest march to the District Assembly office on Thursday, lamented that their businesses were collapsing as a result of the high tariffs.

Scores of them gathered at the assembly to present a petition to the District Chief Executive (DCE), who reportedly refused to receive the document. An eyewitness, who spoke to Citi News said the “angry demonstrators massed up in their numbers and they came to the assembly demonstrating. And they are demanding to present their petition to the DCE. They were unable to present the petition because the DCE refused to take it.” He said some of the protesters came along with their bills which ranged from GHc3, 000 to GHc5, 000. Some of the protesters said, “how the electricity tariffs are increasing, we can’t understand it. My April bill had increased to GHc3,500, the second one is GHc4,500 and the third one is GHc5,500. We can’t understand why they are doing this to us.

I am a dress maker. Another barber has just one machine and a fan. Last month he paid almost Ghc4,500. They told us that they increased the tariff by 59.2% but if you check it’s more than 120%.” Another lady asked the ECG to “reduce the electricity tariff, because it has become more expensive than what they pay for rent. We don’t understand what is going on. They must reduce it else we well beat and kill the workers of ECG.” Since the increase in electricity tariff by 59.2% in December last year, several power consumers have complained about unusually higher amounts they are forced to spend on electricity. –