The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has declined an invitation from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to participate in a public
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has declined an invitation from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to participate in a public hearing on proposed utility tariff adjustments for the 2025–2029 period, citing what it describes as unjustified attempts to further burden Ghanaians already struggling under rising living costs.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said it “shall not attend” the stakeholder engagement because the timing and rationale for any discussions about tariff increments are “completely misplaced.”
According to the NPP, the current economic hardship facing citizens — exacerbated by “excessive taxation” and the recently imposed Energy Sector Levy, dubbed the “Dumsor Levy” — makes any consideration of tariff hikes insensitive and unnecessary.
“There is absolutely no need for such a conversation to begin with,” the statement said. “The ‘Dumsor Levy’ alone, which was hurriedly passed by the NDC Majority in Parliament under the cover of darkness, rakes in over GH¢575 million every month — amounting to more than GH¢5.7 billion annually. A portion of this should be used to support the operations of regulated utility companies.”
The NPP insists that if government efficiently utilized the revenue collected under the energy levy, there would be no need to impose additional tariff hikes on ordinary Ghanaians.
The PURC’s invitation, dated September 9, 2025, outlined plans to brief stakeholders on tariff proposals received from major state-owned utilities — including VRA, GRIDCo, ECG, NEDCo, Ghana Water Ltd, Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), and Enclave Power Company (EPC) — as part of a multi-year tariff review meant to ensure sustainability and operational efficiency across the energy and water sectors.
However, the NPP questioned the necessity of such consultations at a time when citizens are grappling with inflation, rising fuel prices, and economic uncertainty.
The party accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government of poor financial management and using the utilities as scapegoats for its “economic missteps.”
The statement also dismissed claims by government communicators that the proposed tariff adjustments were linked to conditions under the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) support programme.
“This is palpably false,” the NPP stressed. “For the avoidance of doubt, the current IMF programme ends in 2026, but the proposed astronomical increment in tariffs is expected to take effect from 2026 to 2029. This clearly shows that the government’s decision has nothing to do with the IMF.”
The party further accused the government of attempting to use Ghanaians as a “cash cow” to fund inefficiencies within the energy sector and cover up what it called “gross mismanagement” of the country’s utilities.
“Ghanaians are being unduly levied to pay for the government’s incompetence in managing these regulated utilities. This, the NPP finds unacceptable and will use all legitimate means to resist any attempt to slap Ghanaians with these astronomical increases,” the statement concluded.
The NPP’s boycott marks the latest political controversy surrounding energy sector reforms under President John Mahama’s administration, which has faced growing public criticism over taxes, electricity reliability, and fuel pricing.
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