The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed disappointment over what it describes as the marginal tariff reduction resulting from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government's attempt to score undeserving political point. In a statement signed by Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, sector Spokesperson on Energy, it said that the NDC government claimed it does not intend to usurp the role of the PURC, but it had effectively subverted the independence of the PURC, and used those powers to set the new tariff levels without regard for the concerns and interests of the general Public, especially workers and industry. It said what government should have done, in the face of widespread complaint against the earlier-announced tariff and criticism of the NDC for failing to honour their manifesto promise, was to absorb the increases and count it as government expenditure. "Interfering in the work of the PURC is completely unacceptable", the statement added. It said that by virtue of the fact that the reduction from the earlier-announced -level was only marginal, “it simply reaffirms government's show of bad faith to Ghanaians since this level, in spite of the NDC manifesto promise, is higher than "what-pertained during the NPPP administration of, President J.A. Kufuor”. It further said that the NDC government had again shown its insensitivity to the sufferings of, Ghanaians by refusing to facilitate a significant downward readjustment in the utility tariffs, particularly in the face of rising cost of living at all levels including fuel prices, high taxes and skyrocketing road tolls, among others. That the NDC government went, ahead to determine this final adjustment level without the involvement of other stakeholders and social partners such as the Ghana Trades Union Congress, Consumer Protection Agencies, typifies the non-consultative manner in which the Mills administration runs this nation, it added. It said that the NDC government had not been able to introduce any novel initiatives on how to address the tariff issue in a sustainable manner and that Prof. Mills and the NDC have again shown that they are bankrupt of ideas that will create an economic environment that will unleash the creative potentials of Ghanaians and Ghanaian businesses to help transform this nation into a middle income nation. That the NDC government in readjusting, the PURC-set tariffs without any indication of how much additional investment it is contributing to the sector and also refusing to absorb further any portion of the drastic increase by the -PURC both go to attest to the fact that the government was not only incapable of managing the sector but was simply not prepared to ease the sufferings of Ghanaians as promised in its Better Ghana Agenda. By these actions and inaction, the statement said the NDC had proven itself to be a party rooted in mere propaganda and not one that uses innovative policies to move this country forward as the NPP did for eight years. Source: Daily Graphic