Killer Tariffs Committee Submit Report

Organized Labour, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and members of the general public are waiting with bated breath as government receives the report of the committee tasked to review utility tariffs. On Thursday, the technical committee set up by government to review the recent astronomical tariff hikes, chaired by Dr. Joe Abbey of Center for Policy Analysis (CEPA), presented its report to government, but the content of the report is still held close to the chest of the John Dramani Mahama � led government. However, speculations are rife that the committee may have suggested that the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) reduce the controversial tariffs that have caused widespread outrage. But speaking to Daily Guide via telephone on Thursday, a Deputy Minister of Information, Felix Ofosu Kwakye said he has not sighted the report and could not confirm whether or not the committee had asked for a reduction in utility tariffs. The Secretary General of the TUC, Kofi Asamoah could not also confirm, the content of the report, adding �We�ve not formally gotten the report so I can�t be able to comment.� The TUC vehemently opposed the recent increment in tariffs and issued a 10-day ultimatum to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to slash the hikes by about one-third. In September, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, based on agitations from the utility service providers � Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Volta River Authority (VRA), among others, increased electricity and water tariffs by about 79 percent and 50 percent respectively. The increment has attracted intense condemnation from the members of the general public, who have argued that the utility companies do not deserve further boost in their revenue. But the utilities have also argued that they would need the extra funds to undertake service improvement. The confusion caused by the increases in electricity and water tariffs forced the government to task a technical committee to review the new rates. The committee was tasked to review the tariff increment in order to offer necessary recommendations which would be affected by the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission and the ruling government would consider the suggestions made by the technical committee and determine the next line of action. �Government shares the plight of the ordinary Ghanaians. Government is not only concerned about the payment of utility tariffs, but it is also concerned about the delivery, efficiency,adequacy of the utility services, he was quoted as saying. �The technical committee can make some recommendations to the PURC on effective ways of tacking the upward adjustment in tariffs, they cannot effect those adjustments. It is only the PURC that has mandate by law to make adjustment in utility tariffs,� the Deputy Minister told the media on Thursday.