Vice President of the political pressure group, Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), Abu Ramadan, has expressed the group’s disquiet over the recent increase in utility tariffs.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), on Monday, August 29th, announced a 7% increase in Electricity tariffs and a 6.7% increase in Water tariffs, effective September 1 to November 30, 2011.

But Abu Ramadan, speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ Morning Show stated that though the PURC held a meeting with all stakeholders prior to the announcement, AFAG, after critically analyzing the upward tariff adjustment and reasons adduced for the increase, maintains it is unacceptable.

“…We were part of the consultation and we listened to their reasons and they gave us a copy of their presentation. AFAG as an institution and a civil society group, we replied to PURC telling them that the reasons they gave for the increment was not genuine enough to cause for increment in utility prices and we told them to re-consider because we don’t agree with the increment and we don’t accept it…,” he added.

According to him, Ghanaians are already being faced with difficulties and for that reason; the increment will stress an already overburdened civil servant. He gave the assurance that AFAG will “respond appropriately” to the tariff increase.

“…looking at the reasons they (PURC) offered, they are putting the whole blame at the door step of government,” he added.

The new tariffs, 7% for electricity and 6.7% for water, are as a result of an improvement in the quality of services by the two utility companies.

In the first quarter of 2011, the PURC announced a reduction in utility tariffs, the first time ever since the inception of the PURC. In the second quarter, the commission did not announce an increment due to the poor quality of service by the utility companies.