Another Utility Increment Comes With Unbearable Hardship; Time To Strike

The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) is unhappy about the increase in utility tariffs, which take effect from Wednesday October 1st 2014 as announced by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC). This is a slap in the face of Ghanaians.

In the midst of the current economic hardships triggered by excessive corruption vis-a-vis the inability of the utility companies to justify the relevance of previous price increases, we consider this latest increase in utility tariffs an exercise of bad faith.

Simply put, what has happened to:

(i) The judgment by the supreme court for Woyome to refund over 50 million Ghana cedis then equivalent to $50million to the state?

(ii) The ruling by Justice Dotse in the famous 'create, loot & share' for Waterville to refund to the state An amount of €22 million;

(iii) The over $ 400 million missing in the GYEEDA project;

(iv) Elvis Afriyie Ankrah & Adu Asare who supervised wasteful expenditure of millions of dollars at the world cup causing Ghana's poor performance in Brazil;

(v) The various rent scandals rocking the consolidated fund;

Mr. President, these are but a few of the itemized list of corrupt practices. The full list will be made available soon to Ghanaians. Be it as it may, your indecision has cost Ghana a great deal.

Moving forward, we believe the PURC has no justification for the recent hikes? According the press release by PURC for automatic adjustments for the 1st quarter from January 1st -March 31st, the increases were because of:

(i) Ghana cedi-US dollar exchange rate
(ii) Inflation
(iii) World market prices of crude oil

Currently, we hear the cedi is appreciating against the dollar. Furthermore, inflation is stable at 15.9%. Additionally World market prices of crude oil have not increased and less than 100 USD per barrel (far lesser than the oil shocks of 2008 where prices soared to over $140/bbl).

The "dumsor" has become "dumkoraa". This is inexcusable.

This attempt to increase utilities will cause a general increase in prices of goods and worsen the already deplorable economic status of the Ghanaian, which is largely as a result of the poor management of the economy by the Mahama-Arthur Amissah-NDC government.

President Mahama, you said no more taxes, yet you have introduced over 165 new taxes.

You said fuel prices will be reduced drastically when it was GHC 3.00 a gallon at $100/bbl on the international market, Yet at the current price of $95 it is GHC15.00 per gallon. This is unrealistic.

Mr. President you said when elected, "dumsor dumsor" will be a thing of the past. Remember:

Haruna Iddrisu on the floor of parliament in 2007! “.... Mr. Speaker the worst crisis today in Ghana is the energy crisis and my first issue is to establish that, this government (NPP) has no excuse, Mr. Speaker no excuse whatsoever to have plunge this country into this darkness.. Irresponsibility on the part of government that they could have avoided this crisis, they could have avoided the darkness, Mr. Speaker with all the material evidence available before them.... Mr. Speaker, I repeat this government has no excuse in plunging this country into darkness"

Mr. President, for your information, Ghanaians where better off relatively with a "dumsor/timetable to a dumkoraa" without timetable which makes no sense

In this regard, AFAG is urging all Ghanaians, far and near, home and abroad to join in the show of support through a massive demonstration in Accra. We will communicate the date by next week as we serve notice to the Ghana Police Service.

We urge the Ghana Police Service to stay away from interfering in our quest. No more orders from above to impede the will of the people. Simply put, don't attempt a court order again to prevent an AFAG DEMO, as this has been your stock-in-trade.

We need economic freedom now!!!
Victoria Ascerta, the battle continues.

Signed:

Davis Opoku- 0244861593
Abu Ramadan-0244570006
Wesley Owusu- 0544759734
Henry Haruna Asante- 0248274646
Arnold Boateng- 0209830546
Dr. Nana Ayew Afriyie- 0501287870