The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) has expressed its opposition to the recent utility tariff increases sanctioned by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
In a statement signed by the union’s General Secretary, Alpha Shaban on April 15, GUTA described the tariff hike as unjustified, attributing it to persistent inefficiencies, corruption, and poor management within the utility sector.
The statement noted that the tariff increase places an unfair burden on consumers, especially domestic and commercial users, and condemned the PURC and utility providers for neglecting to tackle wastage and corruption.
GUTA outlined several issues, including inflated procurement costs that benefit individuals, poor bill collection from state institutions resulting in debts shifted onto consumers widespread illegal connections, weak regulatory oversight by the PURC, and incidents of theft, such as the missing ECG containers scandal.
In light of these concerns, GUTA is calling for decisive government action to combat corruption, recover stolen state assets, and enhance the management of utility services.
They emphasized the country’s potential for economic growth if its resources are effectively managed.
