WaterAid calls for more reduction in water tariffs

WaterAid Ghana, the Coalition of NGOs on Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) and the Ghana Water and Sanitation Journalists Network (GWJN) have jointly appealed to government to further reduce tariffs on water considerably.

According to the groups, though Ghana is one of the countries that has exceeded the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on water with over 87% coverage, more than 3,000,000 people still lack access to safe water and that there was a lot more to be done.

The appeal was stated in a joint statement signed by WaterAid and its partners.

“WaterAid and partners believe government’s initiative to realise universal access to clean and potable water by 2025 was laudable and feasible to achieve. However, it will take the government prioritising the allocation of resources to the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sectors and ensuring that they are disbursed in a timely and predictable manner, adequate to the task and in the appropriate amount,” it explained.

The group claimed that the increases in tariffs were likely to have negative implications, adding that such increases may discourage the practice of good hygiene behaviour like hand washing at critical times, if people cannot afford to buy water.

It claimed that healthcare system will be negatively affected as health authorities will be compelled to compromise the health of their clients by resorting to the use of unsafe water, the statement added.

“Especially in the context of other tariff increases on electricity and fuel, we, WaterAid Ghana, CONIWAS and GWJN, consider the intended increases in water tariffs as inimical to the government of Ghana’s own stated objectives,” the group averred.

It went further to explain that an increase in electricity tariff will also increase the operation cost of small-town water systems in many rural and small towns.

To this end, WaterAid appealed to Ghana Water Company (GWCL) to pay more attention to addressing the challenges that diminish its revenue which includes broken/ leaking pipe lines and water theft which cost GWCL about 12 million cedis monthly.

“We appreciate the need to raise more revenue to support and sustain the provision of water. However, we are of the view that a more efficient GWCL can support government’s goal of universal access by 2025 and ensure everyone has adequate water for their domestic and economic use” the group lamented.