The Minority in Parliament has criticised the recent utility tariff reduction announced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), describing it as insufficient and not reflective of current economic realities.
The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako Mensah at a media briefing in Parliament on Wednesday argued that the 4.81% electricity tariff reduction approved by the Commission falls short of what consumers should be benefiting from, given prevailing economic conditions.
“We say plainly that this reduction is insufficient. The Ghanaian consumer deserves far better,” he stated.
According to Adomako Mensah, a detailed review of PURC’s own quarterly data for 2025 reveals a consistent pattern of overestimation in inflation and exchange rate projections, which he said influenced PURC’s tariff calculations.
“We have carefully reviewed PURC’s own quarterly data for 2025. What those figures review is a consistent and systematic pattern of over projection in both inflation and exchange rate assumptions,” he noted.
He maintained that based on actual economic data, the appropriate tariff reduction should be no less than 10 percent.
“The warranted tariff reduction for the current period should have been not less than 10%. Our own analysis of the full year 2025 data concurs,” he stressed, adding that the current adjustment reflects only a fraction of what consumers are owed.
The lawmaker also challenged the notion that Ghana’s ongoing programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) necessitates upward tariff adjustments.
He described the latest reduction as evidence that tariff increases are policy choices of Government rather than externally imposed.
“Furthermore, we wish to place on record a critical point that this government has deliberately avoided. This reduction has come about while Ghana remains under the IMF programme. This is inconvertible proof that the IMF programme does not mandate upward adjustment in tariff.
“Every single increment imposed on Ghanaians under this administration is a direct result of policy choices,” he argued.
The Minority therefore called on the PURC to urgently review its tariff-setting methodology, urging the Commission to rely on verified economic data to implement a more meaningful adjustment.
He further appealed for an appropriate tariff reduction of at least 10 percent in the third quarter of 2026 to provide genuine relief to consumers.
“We call on the PURC to urgently review its methodology using verified, actual economic data to implement a corrective adjustment that delivers genuine relief not less than 10% to consumers in quarter 3 of 2026.”
