Increase in tariffs must match salaries

There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight to the incessant requests by utility service providers such as the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for upward adjustments in tariffs.

We are not against the adjustment of tariffs to enable the utilities to meet production cost when there are increases in the prices of major inputs needed for their work.

We, however, believe that it is proper to match those increases with improved services to customers.

Once again, for the umpteenth time, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has sent a strong message to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) that it will not accept any astronomical increases in utility tariffs.

It all sounds like an old tune, with the leadership of the TUC asking the PURC to ensure that the review of tariffs takes into account what workers can afford, while the PURC, on the other hand, is saying that the review of prices is justified.