Some residents of Kumasi in the Ashanti region have been reacting to the new utility bills that are set to take effect on September 1, 2022.

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This comes after the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) proposed a 27.15 percent upsurge in electricity bill and a 21.55 percent increase in water bill.

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Objections and support for the new tariff increment have embraced the new directive which will take effect soon.

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Some residents describing the new upsurge as a 'robbing Peter to pay Paul strategy strategy', said the government is deliberately doing this to regain profit from the lost it incurred during the COVID-19 era, thus when it supplied water and electricity for free.

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Speaking to GhanaWeb, most of these worried residents pleaded with the government to reconsider things and rescind its decision to increasing the tariffs.

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According to most of them, the addition of this current hike to the existing economic hardship faced by Ghanaians will bring a big blow, hence the need for the government to subsidize the bills instead of the increment.

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"Electricity and water bills are already expensive, people can't pay. Kindly give it to us for free, we're suffering. We only come to work to sleep because of hardship". Is this a strategy to retrieve the lost incurred for the free supply of utilities during the covid 19?" A resident by name Nana Addo quizzed.

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"I see this as one of the ways this government is trying to get back the monies from the free water and electricity it supplied us during the covid 19 era. But we're pleading with the government to have mercy on us because we're really sweating". Bismark told GhanaWeb.

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"Most of the houses that were supplied with meters by various assembly members are not being forced to pay light bills. Even though there are most of them who make effort to pay their bills, but there're no serious officials to do such follow ups. I'm pleading with the government to rather concentrate on such issues to generate more revenue than to increase tariffs," a Buokrom resident who spoke to Ghanaweb revealed.

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Some have also suggested the government stops the tariff increment and rather find other means to generate money into the the system.

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"I humbly suggest the government uses the e-levy money to cater for the bills and stop the increment. We're now in crisis, Ghanaians are indeed suffering," Dan revealed.

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"If the government wants us to leave this country to Togo, it must tell us. Things are hard, and you still want to increase utility tariffs? I see this as the government's scheming plan to get back the money from the free water and electricity supply during the COVID-19 crisis. If that's not the case, the government must tell us why this punishment in this time of difficulty?

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Despite the numerous objections to the new electricity hikes, there were some others who called on Ghanaians to support the government by accepting the current hikes. Some of these people said it was time Ghanaians paid high utility bills to support the government in revenue generation.

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"Even in America, things are difficult. Don't blame the government for anything. This government has done well by managing things well, and it was time Ghanaians commend it by accepting the new tariffs. I support the government to the highest point. I urge Ghanaians to pay the new tariffs. Most people usually dodge tax payments and it was time the government uses these small bills to generate revenue". Burger Nsia, a former American citizen said.

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Madam Akua, a teacher who spoke to Ghanaweb said though the increment was good but the government needed to reduce the percentages.

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Source: Ghanaweb

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