Economist advises gov’t to increase utility tariffs

Economist and Chairman of the Chamber of Independent Power Producers, Distributors and Bulk Power Consumers Kwame Pianim has urged  government to increase utility tariffs by 30 per cent.

According to him, this will aid in efforts to make citizens pay realistic tariffs, suggesting that Ghana’s economic growth will suffer if the government continues to subsidize electricity.

Speaking to Starr Business he said “if we can do a 30% increase. Some people advocate gradually maybe over a 5-year period. We should all close our eyes and do it once and for all and get rid of it. So that we don’t have these legacy debts being there in the energy sector.”

He noted, “it goes back years and we need our money for better things. For educating our people, for providing healthcare when we are sick, for creating jobs for the youth. If we don’t use the monies to train our youths, they will be on the streets destabilizing our economic and political system.”