The Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, has formally called on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Limited (GWL) to substantially enhance their service delivery following the approved utility tariff increases set to commence in January 2026.
Under the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC) revised Multi-Year Tariff Review for the 2026–2030 regulatory period, electricity tariffs will see an adjustment of 9.86%, while water tariffs will increase by 15.92%.
Speaking to journalists, the Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North emphasised that while the increments are viewed as necessary, they must directly translate into better services for the public.
He noted, “Yesterday, we woke up to hear that they’ve gone ahead to increase electricity by 9.86% and water by 15.92%.”
“This particular increment is to take care of capital expenditure and some aspects of operational expenditure.”
Mr Adomako-Mensah clarified that the approved electricity tariff adjustment is specifically intended to cover the utilities’ capital requirements between 2025 and 2030. This means the ECG is not expected to request further tariff hikes for capital spending during this defined period.
He explained that “What this means is that between this period, they are not coming back to us to request another increment in tariff to take care of capital expenditure.”
Despite this, he cautioned that consumers should still anticipate future quarterly tariff reviews, as these are mandated by law and are separate from the capital expenditure adjustments.
“Ghanaians should brace themselves because this has nothing to do with the quarterly adjustments. Indeed, by March, depending on economic factors, we should expect another increment.”
The MP highlighted that the revised tariffs would support key government-backed initiatives, including the installation of mini-grids in remote areas and other significant capital programmes.
He stated that the Minority Caucus took solace in the fact that the approved increments were considerably lower than the initial requests made by the utility companies.
“Ordinarily, any Ghanaian will not be excited about an increment in tariffs. But I am comforted that it was not the 200-and-something per cent that the utility agencies were requesting,” he stated.
“We have always advocated that when you request an increase, Ghanaians should see a commensurate level of service.”
He urged ECG, the Volta River Authority (VRA), and Ghana Water Limited to demonstrate improved performance and service delivery as a direct return for the new tariffs.
He also pointed out the immense financial strain on Ghana Water Limited stemming from the severe impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on crucial water sources.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
