The Minority in Parliament has called for the immediate withdrawal of recent utility tariff hikes, describing them as punitive and unjustified.
Their reaction follows the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) approval of a 9.86 percent increase in electricity tariffs and a 15.92 percent rise in water tariffs, effective January 1, 2026, under its multi-year review programme for 2026–2030. The PURC justified the adjustments as necessary to support investment, account for inflation and exchange rate pressures, and maintain the viability of service providers.
addressing journalists in Accra on Monday, December 8, Ranking Member on the Energy Committee and MP for Asene Manso Akroso, George Kwame Aboagye, said the increases would worsen the economic hardship facing households and businesses. He argued that government should prioritise fixing systemic inefficiencies instead of passing the burden onto consumers.
According to him, the cumulative 28.14 percent rise in electricity tariffs within a short period was unacceptable, especially given persistent commercial and technical losses totalling 32 percent. “These tariff hikes are not reforms—they are punishments,” he said, insisting that government was shifting its failures onto already struggling Ghanaians.
Aboagye warned that higher tariffs would erode expected wage adjustments for 2026 and push more families into “utility poverty,” leaving them unable to afford basic electricity. He also cautioned that small and medium-scale enterprises could collapse under rising operational costs.
He questioned why large-scale power losses continue despite stable demand levels, citing an annual loss of about 80–90 million dollars due to inefficiencies. “When you say review, review can be downward or upward, so why not downward?” he asked.
The Minority has urged government to reverse the tariff increments, saying it stands with households, workers and businesses struggling to survive.
