Hundreds protest high electricity tariffs in Ghana's capital

Hundreds of residents in Ghanaian capital Accra hit the streets Tuesday to protest high electricity tariffs.

They were fully clad in red and black clothes and brandished placards amidst singing and dancing, demanding urgent downward review of the tariffs.

Speaking to reporters, some of the demonstrators claimed that the high electricity bills were collapsing their businesses and making their lives unbearable.

"We are all suffering the hike of electricity tariff and that is what the residence of Nungua, Teshie and La are demonstrating against. There is too much hardship and if something could be done about electricity bills, it would go a long way to alleviate the plight of Ghanaians," said Frank Davis, one of the demonstrators.

Ghana's utilities regulatory body, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), late last year approved an increase of 59.2 percent and 67.2 percent for electricity and water tariffs respectively.

However, businesses and individuals have complained about the new tariffs, saying they are "astronomical and unreasonable".

Many Ghanaians claim they have since May this year been over-billed by the company.

The country's major power distributor, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has attributed the anomalies to problems with its billing system, and has resolved to correct all by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has given a hint that Ghanaians would begin experiencing some reliefs in electricity bills effective from July 1. Endit