PURC dragged to court over new utility tariffs

A civil society group calling itself Truth and Accountability Forum (TAF), has dragged the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC) to the Fast Track High Court in Accra, to stop it from approving new rates for utilities.

The group is praying the court, among other things, to put perpetual injunction restraining the PURC from approving new rates without providing guidelines for the fixing of rates.

According to TAF, “the consumer has been taken for granted too long a time and this is the right time we all come together as one to demand what is due us”.

“The inefficiency on the part of the management of service providers to retrieve debts, especially from government agencies should not in any way be passed onto the poor consumer who struggles to make ends meet.

“It is high time people took responsibility and stop this attitude that wrecks the public purse for their selfish gains,” it added.

Utility service providers have been holding talks with the PURC and other stakeholders in a bid to justify their demand for tariffs increment.

The producers say service delivery can only improve if consumers pay realistic tariffs.