NPP’s boycott of PURC’s public hearing on tariff review purely political – NDC Communicator
Asurayaga strongly criticized the NPP’s stance, accusing the party of resorting to its usual boycott tactics.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team for the Chiana-Paga Constituency, Angelina Asurayaga, has described the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) boycott of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) public hearing on proposed utility tariff adjustments as a politically motivated act rather than one taken in the public interest.
The PURC had invited key stakeholders, including political parties, to a public hearing on proposed tariff increases submitted by utility providers. However, the NPP declined participation, arguing that there was no justification for discussing tariff hikes at a time when citizens were already overburdened by economic hardship.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Wednesday October 8, Asurayaga strongly criticized the NPP’s stance, accusing the party of resorting to its usual boycott tactics.
“It is purely political. The NPP is used to boycotting. Since the NDC assumed office, they have always boycotted important engagements. We all know that this meeting was to deliberate on tariff adjustments. If they had taken part and aired their grievances, that would have been good citizenship. But declining to participate cannot be seen in the same light.” She stated.
Asurayaga also questioned the sincerity of the NPP’s concerns about economic hardship, arguing that the party’s own record in government worsened the economic situation.
“We were all in Ghana when they were in power and saw the economic challenges we faced. Why are they now shifting blame? They caused more hardship in their eight years of rule and have no moral right to refuse engagement on that basis.” She added.
The PURC’s ongoing public hearings are part of efforts to gather stakeholder input before approving or rejecting proposed tariff adjustments by service providers.
The NPP’s decision to boycott the process has drawn mixed reactions from the public and political observers, with some supporting their protest and others, like Asurayaga, seeing it as a missed opportunity for constructive engagement.
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