Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central Constituency, Kennedy Agyapong, has called on government to turn its radar on two major utility companies in the country, and regulate them more positively to restore sanctity to the system.

To him, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), if left unchecked, will ruin the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) prospects of winning the next elections.

Speaking on Accra-based Adom TV, the maverick politician gave practical examples of how the two companies had been virtually robbing Ghanaians in broad day light.

“There are two institutions discrediting all that government is doing, and we have to be careful. ECG, Ghana Water Company….Ghana Water company is even worse…their workers are so lazy that they sit in their comfortable office and look at the beauty of the house and bill it without going to check,” he said.

Ghanaians all over the country have been ‘bitter’ about increase in utility, at a time when Government had promised of some reliefs.

So serious are the reports that some companies are said to have shut down due to high electricity bills.

Mr. Agyapong recounted how he paid GH¢1,500 a month for his six-bedroom bungalow, only for the water source to be disconnected days later.

“After paying the water bill with receipt to prove, the guy comes in to disconnect… so where did the money go?” he asked.

He continued: “Just yesterday a Lebanese came to my place, he says he has a big house where nobody lives in, but was billed GH¢18,000.

“These are the things that we need to monitor because things like this make Ghanaians hate us [NPP].”

Ports

Another challenge that has muddied the waters for the NPP, Mr. Agyapong said, is the excessive duties and taxes placed on imports.

According to him, these high tariffs are hindering operations of importers, forcing them to halt import.

“High premium is discouraging people from bringing things into this country…an agent who shipped over 100 containers last year, could only ship 20 this year…the difference of the 100 is a revenue loss to the government because of high premium,” Mr. Agyapong stated.

“Reduce the tariffs and you’ll see how it will attract a lot of people to import so that you can tax them and then you can make more money,” he pleaded.