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The president of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe, has suggested that the proposed increment in utility tariffs is payment for the free water and electricity the government gave to Ghanaians as part of measures to alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He indicated that he was of the conviction that Ghanaians were eventually going to pay for the free water and electricity because the government can only give what it takes from the citizenry.

Franklin Cudjoe, who made these remarks in a series of tweets he shared on May 12, 2022, added that the government did not give Ghanaians water and electricity because it loves Ghanaians unreservedly.

“I wondered why we believed the government that it was out of its unconditional love for us that it gave water and electricity 'freebies' in 2020. Well, now your accumulated bills are in & been conditionally proposed at an increased rate of 148% for electricity and 334% for water.

“… we should remember, that Government has nothing to give anybody except what it first takes from somebody, and a government that's big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you've got,” portions of the tweets he shared read.

Franklin Cudjoe's remarks come after the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company (GWCL) Limited proposed a 148 percent and an over 300 percent increase in tariffs respectively which has created a lot of public outcries.