The Centre of Posterity Interest Organization (COPIO) has urged government to reject what it describes as “extreme” tariff increases proposed by utility service providers, warning that such hikes would worsen economic hardship for households and cripple small businesses.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Mustapha Maison Yeboah, said the proposals submitted to the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas), and Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) threaten both economic growth and social stability.
COPIO argued that while the utilities cite sustainability and infrastructure investment needs, the burden should not be shifted onto consumers without addressing inefficiencies such as poor revenue collection, technical losses, corruption, and weak governance.
“Without addressing these systemic inefficiencies, merely passing the burden onto consumers will not yield sustainable solutions,” the statement said.
The NGO warned that higher tariffs would significantly raise production costs for local businesses, particularly SMEs already struggling with inflation, currency depreciation, and limited access to credit.
This, it added, would undermine Ghana’s competitiveness in the ECOWAS sub-region, making local products less attractive and risking the collapse of many enterprises.
Households, too, would feel the strain. COPIO emphasized that women, often primary household managers, would face heightened financial pressure as they try to balance food, education, and healthcare costs alongside rising utility bills.
Vulnerable groups, including the elderly and low-income earners, risk being pushed further into poverty, the group cautioned.
“Utilities are not luxuries; they are necessities for modern life, and steep increases will translate into unbearable bills for ordinary households,” the statement stressed.
Instead of tariff hikes, COPIO called for comprehensive reforms such as improved metering, stronger accountability, reduced transmission and distribution losses, and better governance structures.
It also recommended targeted subsidies for SMEs, renewable energy incentives, and expanded lifeline tariffs for vulnerable households as ways to cushion consumers while promoting sustainable energy solutions.
“Policies must safeguard the future, not mortgage it. Imposing such steep burdens today risks stifling innovation, discouraging entrepreneurship, and creating long-term socio-economic setbacks for the next generation,” COPIO said.
The organization urged government to intervene to keep utility tariffs affordable, ensure household resilience, and protect Ghana’s economic competitiveness.
