The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is calling on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to reverse its recent decision to increase utility tariffs, warning of strong industry resistance if the hikes are not rescinded.
The PURC recently announced a 14.75% increase in electricity tariffs and a 4.02% rise in water tariffs, applicable across all consumer categories.
The adjustments are part of the Commission’s quarterly review for the first and second quarters of 2025. Reasons cited for the increase include exchange rate fluctuations, inflation forecasts, rising fuel costs, particularly natural gas, and the current hydro-thermal power generation mix.
However, COPEC’s Executive Secretary, Duncan Amoah, described the tariff hikes as unjustifiable, pointing to unresolved accountability issues within the power sector.
“If you look at the circumstances surrounding ECG, there are serious questions of accountability that undermine even public procurement laws. We’re talking about close to 2,000 containers unaccounted for amounting to hundreds of millions of cedis,” Amoah said.
He argued that it was contradictory for authorities to cite financial constraints while failing to address such lapses. “Then we turn around and say there’s no money to sustain operations, so tariffs must go up? It doesn’t add up. The PURC must reverse this decision,” he stated.
Amoah further warned that consumers will not accept the burden quietly. “Coming back to the consumer to insist we pay more, I can assure you, will be fiercely resisted,” he added.
Meanwhile, consumer advocacy groups have echoed COPEC’s sentiments, calling on the government to prioritise public engagement before implementing further tariff adjustments and to focus on long-term solutions that balance affordability, reliability, and sustainability in utility services.
