The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has stated that 78% of Ghanaians were unable to enjoy the electricity tariff cut announced by the government in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is because they are not connected to the national grid, the GSS said.
In a press release dated September 29, 2020, the Service said the findings were from the Local Economies Tracker it organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The research survey was conducted in 2,770 communities in all the 16 regions of Ghana, according to the GSS.
It is recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced a cut in the utility tariffs as a way of easing the burden created by the virus.
“The findings show that 25% and 78% of localities did not benefit from the subsidies on water and electricity respectively.
“For electricity, it is because these localities are not connected to the national grid and for water because these localities rely on alternative sources of water,” the survey said.
The report also emphasized the importance of non-state actors in the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Support received by communities from churches and philanthropists is a clear demonstration of how non-state actors have and continue to complement government’s effort to ensure communities recover better from the pandemic.”
The statement also indicated that there was an increase in crime rate during the lockdown period in the country.
“The survey result also indicates that localities witnessed an increase in crime during the lockdown period with about three out of ten communities (34.1%) experiencing a rise in crime such as theft and burglary. This is followed by an increase in domestic violence (3.7%) and assault (3.1%) in communities.”
Government in a bid to support citizens announced the reduction of prices for utilities in the country.
