COPEC demands reversal of utility tariff increases, describes hikes as unjustified

The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has strongly criticized the recent decision by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to increase utility tariffs, calling for an immediate reversal of the adjustment.

In a firm statement, Mr. Amoah warned that industry stakeholders are prepared to resist the hikes should the government and the PURC fail to reconsider their stance.

The PURC recently announced a 14.75% rise in the average end-user electricity tariff and a 4.02% increase in water tariffs for all consumer categories. These adjustments, the Commission said, are part of its quarterly review for the first and second quarters of 2025. According to the PURC, the revisions were influenced by several factors, including fluctuations in the Ghana cedi to US dollar exchange rate, projected inflation, fuel costs (particularly natural gas), and the current hydro-thermal energy mix.

However, Duncan Amoah argues that the increases are not only excessive but also fail to consider deeper issues within the utility system, particularly with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

“If you look at the circumstances surrounding the ECG, there are issues of accountability that render even public procurement processes and laws moot and ineffective,” he asserted. “We have almost 2,000 containers unaccounted for, running into hundreds of millions of cedis.”

He continued, “Then, we turn back and claim we don’t have money, hence being unable to sustain operations. Therefore, we are raising tariffs. This doesn’t add up, and PURC needs to backtrack on the decision.”

Mr. Amoah emphasized that ordinary Ghanaians should not be made to bear the cost of inefficiencies within the system, warning of a possible backlash. “Coming back to the consumer to insist we pay more, I can assure will be resisted fiercely,” he said.

COPEC’s demand underscores growing public frustration over rising living costs, and the group is urging authorities to prioritize transparency and efficiency over revenue generation through tariff hikes.

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