The Committee for Joint Action (CJA) is calling on the Mahama-led administration and the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) to reverse the 78.9% and 52% tariff increment on electricity and water.

According to them, the increment is rather going to worsen the plight of Ghanaians who are already being whipped by the hardship in the economy.

In a statement signed by its convener, Kwesi Pratt, the group “strongly believes that the increases in utility tariffs will pass on the cost of inefficiency, maladministration and corruption to innocent consumers”

Read full statement below

Statement On Utility Tariff Increases

The Committee for Joint Action (CJA) strongly urges the Government of Ghana and the Public utility Regulatory commission (PURC) to reverse the decision to increase utility tariffs as a matter of urgency.

We note that since the increases were announced last week, groups such as the Socialist Forum of Ghana, The New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the Peoples National Convention(PNC) and organized labour have all condemned the measures as unreasonable and insensitive'

All these groups with different ideological and political persuasions cannot be wrong and it is important for Government to demonstrate that in pursuing its policies, it will listen to the concerns of the people.

The CJA strongly believes that the increases in utility tariffs will pass on the cost of inefficiency, maladministration and corruption to innocent consumers'

We insist that it is time to take a long term view of meeting the energy and water needs of Ghana. This must necessarily include efforts to reduce the cost of generating power and producing portable water for mass distribution'

The CJA is able and willing to join hands with organized labour and genuine organizations which want to press home the need to reverse these increases'

Signed

Kwesi Pratt Jnr

For Convener