The Minority in Parliament has criticised the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) recent cut in utility as too small to ease the financial burden on households and businesses.
According to the minority in parliament, utilities must be reduced by at least 10%.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako Mensah, stated, “The Regulatory Commission announced reductions in electricity and water tariffs, but we say plainly this reduction is insufficient and Ghanaian consumers deserve far better”.
“In quarter one and quarter two, the commission projected an inflation rate of 22.49 per cent against an actual average of 20.3 per cent, an over-projection of 2.19 points. In quarter three, the projection was 20.67 per cent when the actual figure was 11 per cent — an over-projection of 9.67 points,” he noted.
“The ongoing increases in fuel and energy costs are squeezing households and businesses from multiple fronts. A mere 5 per cent reduction does not go far enough,” he said.
Collins Adomako Mensah added, “It has been three weeks since the minister’s directive, yet the report has not been published, and the minister has not addressed the public. Consumers are still watching their prepaid credits being drained.
“The Minister for Energy must submit the full investigation report provided by ECG. Ghanaians deserve to know the scale of the problem and the collective actions taken,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced a reduction in electricity and water tariffs effective from April 1, 2026.
According to the PURC, its quarterly tariff review will reduce electricity tariffs by an average of 4.81 per cent, while water tariffs will be reduced by 3.06 per cent.
The PURC highlighted that the review was conducted in line with its mandate to adjust tariffs every quarter.
In a statement issued on Friday, March 13, the PURC stated, “The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) wishes to inform consumers of electricity and water that the existing electricity and water tariffs have been reviewed downwards to take effect from April 01, 2026”.
“The Commission applied a projected Weighted Average Ghana Cedi-US Dollar Exchange Rate of GHS11.1931/US$1.0000 for the second Quarter of 2026. This projected exchange rate is based on a 3- month Actual Inter-Bank Average Ghana Cedi-US Dollar Selling Exchange Rate for the period December 01, 2025, to February 28, 2026. This indicates a 6.78% reduction from the last Quarter rate of GHS12.0067/ US$1.0000,” the statement said.