The Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) has threatened to picket at the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for a downward review of the hikes in the recent utility tariffs.
This follows a statement by the PURC promising to access complaints raised by the Association on wrongful charges and high tariffs. However, the President of the Association, Dr. Edward Ernest Ackah-Nyamike Jr., questioned the metrics used by the PURC to increase tariffs to up to a 167%, contrary to the 8.3% announced earlier.
“I must say the PURC’s response to our letter is very evasive, and for me, it begs the question: who regulates the regulator? Because, if an institution like the PURC announces an 8.3% upward adjustment in water tariffs, publishes it, and goes round to do the exact very opposite of that, I mean the extreme opposite of that, up to a 167%, and nobody is talking about it, we haven’t heard anything from the sector ministers, tourism as a culture or water and sanitation,…
“In fact, in my letter to the PURC, we copied the Parliamentary set committee on Trade Industry and Tourism. We haven’t heard anything from them. We also copied the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), we haven’t heard anything from them. So, who regulates the regulator? So if the regulator, after all the engagement with the stakeholders and deciding on a particular percentage can go round it, then it means the regulator cannot be trusted.”
Dr. Ackah-Nyamike Jr.
According to the GHA President, despite requesting that the PURC restrains their workers or staff from harassing hoteliers in paying the new tariff , “they are out there, doing exactly that“.
“Because, we expected that, since we have petitioned you on the matter, at least we could calculate that 8.3% increase that you gave and pay that one for now, as you resolve the issue but if you go round demanding that 167% increase that you announced, that is highly incentive and I think the PURC must be called to order.”
Dr. Ackah-Nyamike Jr.
The GHA President added that they have no alternative regulator to resort to apart from the regulatory body, PURC but should their attempts to get through to them prove futile, they will involve the police.
“It’s the PURC that we know and we are going to respond to their response and we are also planning to picket at their office. If we get to the PURC and we don’t get a favorable response, we will inform the police and do the appropriate.”
Dr. Ackah-Nyamike Jr.
The Association noted that they have five days to get to the police if getting through their petition to the PURC fails.
This passionate cry by Dr. Edward Ackah-Nyamike came after the PURC said it will assess complaints of extraordinary increases in Water bills from the Ghana Hotels Association (GHA).
PURC’s letter to GHA
Executive Secretary for PURC, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, in a letter to the Ghana Hotels Association, stated that:
“The Commission wishes to state that the concerns raised by your association will be assessed and the necessary action would be taken to mitigate the impact of the approved water tariff on your businesses in subsequent quarterly reviews using the Commission’s quarterly tariff adjustment mechanism.”
Dr. Ishmael Ackah
The PURC stated that in announcing and gazetting the water tariffs, it clearly indicated that there was a restructuring of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL)’s consumer categories to enable the company meet consumers’ demands, adding that the restructuring which was ongoing would also enable the Water Company to serve the customers well while balancing both the interest of the Company and that of the customer.
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