Policy Analyst Dr. Peter Terkper has urged the government to shift from short-term fixes to a comprehensive, long-term strategy that ensures stable and sustainable electricity and water supply in the country.
In an interview with ABC News Gh on Thursday, he warned that the recurring trend of imposing levies and increasing tariffs to manage these critical sectors is both unsustainable and burdensome on the average Ghanaian.
“We are already struggling,” Dr. Terkper lamented, stressing that the public continues to suffer under repeated price hikes without clear outcomes.
Dr. Terkper criticized the government’s over-reliance on levies as a quick solution to deeper structural problems.
He noted that the approach does not account for the fact that many Ghanaians are already financially constrained.
“Unfortunately, they don’t have any alternative now. All they know is to impose levy,” he said, describing the tactic as a failure in innovative policy thinking.
Using the insurance sector as an analogy, he pointed out that adding more taxes to already misunderstood services only drives away potential users. “Already people don’t understand insurance and thus do not do it. And if you want more people to join in, you impose more tax?” he questioned.
Dr. Terkper called on the government to provide a transparent account of its progress and outline a clear roadmap moving forward.
“Government should come and give us a comprehensive report on where we were and where we have gotten to,” he demanded.
According to him, without accountability and long-term planning, the cycle of crisis in the utilities sector will only deepen, worsening the burden on ordinary citizens and stifling national development.
