The planned protest organized by the Ghana Hotels Association aimed at addressing the issue of high utility tariffs has been temporarily postponed due to the denial of protection by the police.
Originally, the Ghana Hotels Association had intended to conduct a march through the streets of Accra as a means to voice their concerns regarding the exorbitant utility tariffs.
Their primary goal was to draw attention to the rising utility costs and convey their grievances to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
The decision to protest arose from a significant 167% increase in water tariffs that occurred in February 2023, placing a considerable financial burden on numerous hotels throughout the region.
Despite their persistent efforts to engage with the PURC and advocate for a re-evaluation of the tariff situation, they have not achieved any concrete results.
The Association has expressed its intention to continue negotiations with the police in pursuit of a resolution, emphasizing that their objective is a revision of utility tariffs and not the pursuit of any violent demands.
They have also stated that if police protection continues to be denied, they will explore alternative means to make their voices heard.
President of the Ghana Hotels Association, Dr Edward Ackah-Nyamike addressing the press indicated that “our particular issue is with the adjustment that was done in February that increased the tariff that is our focus and that has created debts for the hotels. So we want that one to be reversed to what it was. Reverse it first and then do the 8.3 per cent and if you can now talk about new rates, that’s a whole different ball game.
“Our focus is not on the new adjustment that is starting from the 1st even though that is a discussion for another day because it means that the rates are high. So either way there is an issue.”