Information Minister, Oboshie Sai Coffie has denied knowledge of a reported resignation by the Chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Kwame Pianim.

The Minister told Joy News neither she nor government as an entity was aware of any such event and said she would be rather surprised if the information was true.

Oboshie said even if it was true, she would still be surprised about Pianim’s purported misgivings about government’s stance on low-income consumers of electricity and which may have forced him out of office.

She explained that Government had made it clear it would want to cushion the effect of electricity tariffs on low income earners by subsidizing the cost for the category of consumers, a situation the PURC Chairman had been substantially been alerted of.

According to Oboshie, in her personal interaction with the PURC Chairman, she had held discussions with him on the issue and she would be surprised Pianim could cite that as his excuse.

Sources close to Joy News have hinted Mr. Pianim may have tendered in his resignation last week, whiles President Kufuor was away in Lisbon attending EU-Africa summit.

The PURC recently announced tariff increases for electricity and water.

Following the announcement, Government also announced a review of electricity tariffs widening the lifeline category for consumers from 50 units of electricity to below 150 units.

The PURC Chairman had previously argued for a steady adjustment in prices to reflect economic rates. This he explained was to liberalize the market and get more investors into the sector.

Mr. Pianim himself has declined to comment on the matter.