Government cannot cut power tariffs – Opoku

Kojo Poku, an energy expert, has said the Akufo-Addo-led government cannot reduce electricity tariffs any time soon.

According to him, the government does not have money to subsidise the electricity bills, therefore cannot afford to reduce the bills.

The government, he said, must be truthful to Ghanaians and explain that reduction in the electricity tariffs cannot be possible because of a lack of funds.

His comments come on the heels of Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, assuring that Ghanaians will experience a reduction in their electricity tariffs in 2018.

Mr Agyarko told journalists at a news conference in Accra on Wednesday that the changes would be announced during the reading of next year’s budget in Parliament.

“Our next mandate is to reduce the prices which take several forms,” he said.

But speaking in an interview with Accra News on Friday, September 29 Mr Opoku said: “One of the problems we have in this country is the inability of our politicians to paint the true picture of situations to Ghanaians. We all know before electricity bills can be reduced the government will need money from somewhere to pay for that difference or subsidize it, but at the moment, the government does not have the money and will not have the money anytime soon to do that.

“Yet you have the Energy Minister assuring that the tariffs will be reduced next year. This is very worrying because now, Ghanaians will be expecting that the bills will be reduced next year and if it does not happen, then the government will find itself into trouble.”

He added: “Here in Ghana, we are not paying the right electricity tariffs. We are paying less and the politicians know this but they can tell the electorate because of the promises they made to them. That is a problem in this country.”