Utility tariffs increment is reckless, unjustifiable and a blackmail -Kwesi Pratt
The Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has described Wednesday's announced increases in utility tariffs as “extremely reckless and completely unjustifiable.”
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He says the increment is a “blackmail” intended to make the consumer pay more.
According to him, an impression was being created that the poor quality of services being provided by the utility operators was as a result of inadequate funds as against insufficient tariffs being paid by consumers.
“If you talk to the consumer and you say that if you don’t pay these increased tariffs you are going to have power curtailment, as far as I’m concerned that amounts to blackmail. The impression is therefore false and deliberate. It is calculated to blackmail the public and to deceive all of us,” he said on Accra-based Radio Gold.
Mr Pratt was reacting to the recent announcement of 78.9 per cent increase in electricity and 52 per cent in water tariffs by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC.
The utility companies had initially requested a 166 per cent and 112 per cent increment in electricity and water tariffs respectively.
Although the PURC admitted that there were lapses in the quality of services being provided by the utility companies, the upward adjustment, according to the commission was necessary to help the utility companies cover their operational and maintenance cost.
That notwithstanding, Mr Pratt believes that the increase is “reckless” and “unjustifiable”.
He noted that the indebtedness to the utility companies was a major cause of their inefficiencies.
“Who says that indebtedness is not a factor? Valco alone amounts to $87 million. Read the Auditor General’s report and see the level of corruption and inefficiency in that sector. Doesn’t that matter? That is worrisome.
“All their contracts are sole sourcing. Why sole sourcing? Somebody should explain to us. Why, do they take us for fools? Ghanaians are not fools,” he lamented.
“I’m disappointed; these increases are extremely reckless, they are not justifiable under any circumstances, what is the justification?” he added.
Mr Pratt further lamented the failure of governments and technocrats who have been appointed to propose solutions in the interest of Ghanaians.
He accused them of taking “fat salaries and doing nothing.”
“The politicians in power should open their eyes on these technocrats. They are letting us down; they’ve let every government down, they’ve left the people of Ghana down. They go and sit there, take huge fat salaries and do nothing,” he said.
“When there is a problem they say increase the tariffs, increase prices, is that why we pay them those huge salaries, they should stop annoying us,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Affairs at the PURC, Nana Yaa Gyantuah has given the assurance that the Commission would not relent on its efforts to ensure that the utility companies provide adequate quality of service.
By Jasmine Arku/graphic.com.gh/Ghana
