President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association, Dr Joseph Obeng is demanding immediate investigations into alleged theft scandals that have rocked the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Last month, some containers belonging to the power distributor reportedly went missing, while National Security Operatives recently uncovered a cache of ECG cables in different parts of the country.

Dr Obeng says the misuse and embezzlement of state resources by some public service staff is a root cause of increasing utility tariffs, which is a bane to local business growth.

Dr Obeng spoke on the sidelines of the launch of the “Tax and Good Governance Month” by the Ghana Revenue Authority held in Kumasi.

“All the tariffs and taxes we have been paying to ECG was in vain. It means they didn’t need the increment in tariffs that they called for. They were misusing it. The inefficiency that they’re portraying is a bane to our growth, because it has been very destructive. It is one of the major problems that have been curtailing the growth of our local industries," he noted.

He says until the government probes the matter and recoups all losses incurred, GUTA will resist any attempts to increase electricity tariffs in the coming months.

“We have to evaluate and investigate this. If this is investigated and the proceeds gained at ECG are put to effective use, it will encourage some of us into migrating from trading to manufacturing. People need to be punished for this and be able to recoup all those losses else nobody has the moral authority to say that we have to increase electricity tariffs,” he said.