The Forum for Progressive Ghana (FPG) is calling for the management of Public Utility and Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) management to be sacked.
The group is of the opinion that the PURC has lost its core mandates of; protecting the interest of consumers and provides of utility services, monitor and enforce standards of performance for provision of utility services.
A statement signed by the executives of the group, Adam Badaru Askanda, Joseph Nana Akomeah, Adu Tino Clement, appealed to Civil Society organizations, Political Parties, Religious Bodies and Media to “implore on the management of PURC to desist on further increment of utility tariffs or give way for new management who will have the good interest of the good people at heart.”
Below is the full statement
The Forum for Progressive Ghana (FPG) is calling for the management of Public Utility and Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) management to be sacked.
The PURC has lost its core mandates of; protecting the interest of consumers and provides of utility services, monitor and enforce standards of performance for provision of utility services.
If Ghanaians can recall, it was not long ago when Ghanaians were hit with one of the highest tariff increase in the history of our nation when electricity and water tariffs were increased by 78.9% a d 52.0% respectively with the excuse of providing us with “better” services. What have we experienced after paying these gargantuan increments aside subjecting us to massive “dumsor” and perennial water shortage nationwide? Is that the interest PURC is obliged to serve us? A big NO!
We are now being told by the external affairs director of PURC, Nana Yaa Jantuah that there is going to be a further tariff increment of electricity and water by 12.09% and 6.05% respectively. It will be economically suicidal if PURC authorized and implement the proposed tariff increment. Ghanaians are yet to come to terms with the current huge increment in prices of these basic utilities. Whilst businesses, commercial and industrial players have had their cost of operations and services going up astronomically, domestic consumers have already resorted to the use of less refined power sources like charcoal and candles. Others may resort to illegal connections to further aggravate the production losses of our utility providers. Any additional tariff increment would be literally putting the final nail in the coffin of Ghanaian industry, commercial and domestic consumers of these basic utilities.
The Forum for Progressive Ghana (FPG) is humbly calling on all Civil Society organizations, Political Parties, Religious Bodies and Media to implore on the management of PURC to desist on further increment of utility tariffs or give way for new management who will have the good interest of the good people at heart.
Thank you
Signed
Adam Badaru Askanda
Joseph Nana Akomeah
Adu Tino Clement
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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