INCREASES GALORE!!!

Electricity up 40% -- Water up 40%

-- Petrol up 5% -8% -- Transport fares up

-- School fees up 9%T

Even as the NPP Presidential candidate aspirants blow up billions of cedis in their intra-Party election to see who becomes the Presidential candidate of the party, the NPP Government is also busy doling out pre-Christmas and pre-2008 election gifts of a different kind to Ghanaians. In this penultimate year before the elections, the NPP Government has decided to pile up the most incredible of price and tariff increases in a manner that defies reasoning, all starting from this month, October 2007. Starting from October 2007, and after subjecting the country to a catastrophic one year of quasi-electricity and national load-shedding, electricity tariffs are to go up by 40%. According to NPP guru and Chairman of the PURC, Kwame Pianim, the ECG and VRA have actually submitted proposals for tariff increases of between 50%-100% but because the PURC loves Ghanaians more than the two companies, it has unilaterally decided to award only 40% increase.

Starting from October 2007, water, which has been rationed in Accra since the NPP came to power and handed over management of GWC Ltd to Aqua Vittens of South Africa, and also going up by 40%. The explanation is that electricity is the biggest cost element in water production, so if electricity is going up by 40%, then water must go up by 40%, simply logic.

Starting from October 2007, the prices of petroleum products are to go up between 5%-8%. According to the official explanation released through the media, world crude oil prices have gone up, exceeding the US$ 70 per barrel mark, hence the need for the increase. With this increase, the price of a gallon of petrol has gone up from ¢6,500 in 2000 when the NDC was in office and when then candidate Kufuor led a mass demonstration against the price of petrol to over ¢46,000.00.

Starting from October 2007, transport fares are to be increased. The percentage increase has however not been determined since the GPRTU and other transport organisations have to be consulted. Starting from October 2007, school fees for public second-cycle schools are to go up by 9%. According to the Director General of the GES, Mr. Samuel Bannerman-Mensah, quoted in the Ghanaian Times, boarding fees have shot up from ¢712,800 per term to ¢784,700 per term. Observers have warned to expect substantial increases in the prices and costs of all other goods and services.