UCC students, residents in Cape Coast fume over new tariff increment

Correspondence from Central Region

Some workers and students at the University of Cape Coast, in the Central Region, have expressed their dissatisfaction with the new utility tariff increment introduced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).

They bemoaned that there is enough hardship in the country as the majority of Ghanaians are struggling to survive under the continuously

Read full articlerising cost of living.

Thus, they expect the commission to have been moderate enough not to introduce the levy at all or at least reduce it to a lower percentage.

Speaking to GhanaWeb's Central Regional Correspondent, Kpodo Dominic, the residents on the campus of UCC expressed their disapproval over the increment.

According to Mr. Daniel Asiamah, a level 300 student, Ghanaians are already suffering, so if the government decides to increase utility tariffs, then workers’ salaries should also be increased.

“There is high cost of living at the moment. There is an increase in almost everything but government workers are not getting the increment in their salaries. So if light bills and water bills are being increased, there should also be an increment in salaries to lower the cost of living.”

Miss. Esther Frimpong, a level 200 student, does not think the increment is necessary at this time when people are jobless and even those working have no increment in salary.

“I don’t think there should be an increment on electricity bills and water bills because, looking at our current situation, a lot of people are jobless. They don’t have work to do, and workers also do not have an increment in salaries and prices of goods are rising every day so I do not think this is a good idea.”

Mr. Samuel Mensah, a TEWU worker, disagreed with the new increment because, according to him, Ghanaians are unable to pay their current bills, let alone a new one; hence, the tariffs should be reduced.

“I don’t think it’s good because there’s hardship in the country and everyone is feeling it. So I think they should bring it down at a point where we can buy it because of late when we buy prepaid it doesn’t reach us. So they should bring everything down, we’re pleading on the government because gone are the days you can go out to make a living but now everything is hard.”

The PURC in a press statement on August 15 2022, stated that tariffs for electricity and water will go up by 27.15% and 21.55% respectively effective September 1, 2022.