The Chairman of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, has stated that he will not approve any tariff increment proposal submitted by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
This comment follows the ECG’s request to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for a 225% upward adjustment in its Distribution Service Charge.
The ECG has stated that the increment is necessary to avert financial collapse and ensure a stable electricity supply. However, the Chairman of the Committee remains firm, saying he won’t budge. “As the Chairman of the Energy Committee, I will not approve anything that ECG brings to us,” he said on JoyNews on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
When asked by the host, “You mean what you mean?” he responded, “Yes. I just returned from abroad and checked my committee’s WhatsApp platform. There was a bipartisan bashing of ECG – nobody will come to us with this.”
According to him, the ECG’s failure to consult on its recent tariff adjustments raised concerns in Parliament, leading him to question the logic behind such an outrageous percentage hike.
“The last time they increased by 17% they came and we told them, well, you should have consulted and you didn’t consult. How can you increase the ECG tariff to 225%?”
He reflected on his previously flexible position on utility tariffs when he served as Ranking Member on the Works and Housing Committee. However, as Chairman of the Energy Committee, he stated that he cannot approve such an outrageous percentage rise.
“Honestly, when I was on the other side of the aisle as the ranking member for Works and Housing and Water Resources, I remember, in one of our conversations with PURC, I told them that, well, I would even approve of about 300% for them at that time.
“But sitting here as the chairman of the Energy Committee, and listening to PRC, ECG and all the institutions that are under PRC, I will not approve anything that ECG will bring to us,” he added.
The PURC is currently engaged in stakeholder discussions over proposals by ECG and Ghana Water Company Limited, which is also seeking a 280% tariff rise, citing pollution of water bodies by illegal miners that complicates their operations.
PURC to undertake nationwide public hearings on utility tariff proposals
