PURC, must heed to the voice of the people!

It appears that until the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) does something about its recent increase of utility tariffs, Ghanaians, civil society groups, non-governmental organizations and organised labour groups would not cease agitating for a downward review in the utility tariffs.
The Daily Graphic of Monday, July 19, 2010 carried on its front page the call by operatives in the timber industry for a downward review of the increase in utility tariffs.
According to the Daily Graphic story, the call, which was made by the timber operators at a crucial meeting in Kumasi at the weekend, was premised on the reason that if nothing is done about the high utility tariffs they would have no option than to lay off about 50,000 of their workers. And this decision, obviously, will allow them to stay and remain in business.
Today even believes that some companies have already taken the painful decision to lay off some of its workforce for the purpose of coping with PURC’s killer tariffs. It is clear that the increase in utility tariffs is having an adverse effect on businesses and Ghanaians as a whole.
We at Today were not surprised when the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) declared recently that from July 28, 2010 they will begin a nation-wide strike action should PURC resolve to take an entrenched position on the matter.
And that is what we are hoping it will not get to. We all agree that utility companies such as Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) need money to improve upon the delivery of qualitative services, but that should not come at a greater cost to Ghanaians.
But looking at the issue at stake, clearly many ordinary Ghanaians are being compelled to bear the brunt of the high utility tariffs. It is in this wise that we are once again calling on PURC to listen to the voice of the Ghanaian people. The plea of Ghanaians on this matter is a reduction in the utility tariffs – something that will be within the reach of every Ghanaian.
And Today thinks that by this plea Ghanaians are not demanding too much. We hope that PURC will revisit the matter and come out with something that will well be appreciated by the good people of this country.
That notwithstanding, we also want to use this medium to urge workers union to dialogue with PURC to help address the matter. This is because we believe industrial actions will not help our course to develop and grow to become a middle-income nation. That is why we think a solution must be found to the problem before it gets out of hand.