The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government’s planned increase in electricity and water tariffs, arguing that the move will undermine the successful implementation of its flagship 24-hour economy policy.

The new tariffs, announced by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), are scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026. Under the revised rates, electricity tariffs will increase by 3.49 percent, while water tariffs will rise by 0.85 percent.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, June 25, the Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, said the tariff adjustments would place additional financial pressure on businesses and households at a time when the cost of living remains high.

According to him, Ghanaian manufacturers, processors and small-scale enterprises are already operating under one of the most expensive utility regimes in West Africa, making further increases detrimental to productivity and economic growth.

“Ghana’s manufacturers, processors, and small enterprises operate in one of the most tariff-burdened utility environments in West Africa. Every upward adjustment in electricity costs erodes their competitiveness, raises the cost of production, and ultimately pushes prices higher for the very consumer the NDC claims to be protecting,” he stated.

Mr. Adomako-Mensah further argued that the rising cost of electricity is inconsistent with the government’s ambition to establish a vibrant 24-hour economy driven by industrial expansion and job creation.

“The 24-hour economy cannot run on a 26.82 percent more expensive electricity. Jobs cannot be created when the cost of powering a factory keeps climbing every quarter,” he said.

The Minority also accused the Mahama administration of imposing excessive utility cost increases despite promising economic relief for Ghanaians.

It claimed that since January 2025, electricity tariffs have increased cumulatively by 26.82 percent, while workers have received only a 10 percent salary increment over the same period.

“Since January 2025, electricity tariffs in Ghana have risen by a staggering 26.82 percent. Over the same period, the government awarded workers a meagre 10 percent wage increase—less than a third of the tariff burden placed on those very same workers,” Mr. Adomako-Mensah asserted.

The caucus maintained that the latest tariff adjustments would further erode consumers’ purchasing power, increase production costs for businesses and weaken the competitiveness of Ghana’s industrial sector.

The Minority has therefore called on the government to reconsider the utility tariff hikes, warning that the continued upward adjustment of electricity prices could frustrate efforts to create jobs, attract investment and deliver on the promised 24-hour economy agenda.