Paying more for improved power supply 'bogus' – Pratt

Social commentator Kwesi Pratt Jr., has described as “bogus” the idea that Ghanaians have to pay more to enjoy improved power supply.

According to Mr. Pratt Jr., government has a mandate to make the cost of electricity both available and affordable to Ghanaians.

The Insight newspaper Editor was speaking on Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) with Ekow Mensah-Shalders Tuesday, December 8.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on Monday, December 7, 2015, announced increases in tariffs, with electricity going up by 59.2% and water by 67.2% effective next Monday December 14, 2015.

The cost of electricity may rise further once the Karpower barge brought in from Turkey also begins operations.

But Mr Pratt disagrees with any moves to burden consumers with increased tariffs.

“Government has a dual responsibility to ensure that first, power is available, and second, that it is affordable. The argument that we have brought in a barge, the argument that we are going to improve power supply and, therefore, people have to pay more for electricity, I think is a bogus argument, an argument which nobody should entertain.”

Mr Pratt Jr.’s comments come a day after Dr Steve Manteaw of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) told Class News on Monday that “we need a mass defiance of this particular new tariff.”

According to him, similar action was taken by South Africans where people refused to pay tariffs, and when they got disconnected, connected themselves back. “This is what I mean by defiance of the system; it is not lawlessness, it is social justice,” he said.

He added that the tariff increases were a result of the bad management of the economy for which reason the cedi has depreciated. In his view, Ghanaians do not manage the cedi or the economy and, therefore, should not be made to bear the consequences of those decisions that have been taken by the policy makers.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also described the new tariff hikes as “wicked and evil” and an “insensitive Christmas gift to Ghanaians.”