The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) has launched a blistering attack on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) following the announcement of new utility tariff hikes set to take effect from May 3, 2025.
In a strongly worded statement signed by its General Secretary, Alpha A. Shaban, GUTA described the increases—14.75% for electricity and 4.02% for water—as “unjustified” and “disconnected from the economic realities” currently confronting Ghanaian businesses and households.
Concern is mounting among commuters and motorists using the Ofankor-Nsawam stretch of the Accra-Kumasi Highway following a fresh request by Messrs Meripoma…
· Kelvin Yiadom
The King of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is expected to leave Ghana this week for a working visit to Poland and Canada, temporarily delegating key…
· Kelvin Yiadom
Recent torrential rains combined with the controlled spillage of the Weija-Gbawe Dam have left more than 1,000 homes submerged and displaced over 1,000…
· Kelvin Yiadom
In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, the Electoral Commission (EC) has announced a significant voters' register update. On October 15, 2024, the EC convened…
· Kelvin Yiadom
Final-year students of Chereponi Senior High School in the North East Region have staged a protest over what they describe as poor feeding conditions and…
· Kelvin Yiadom
Ghanaian socialite and internet personality Abu Trica, known privately as Frederick Kumi, has been released from police custody after successfully meeting his…
· Kelvin Yiadom
An unemployed physically challenged graduate has called on the government to urgently address systemic barriers preventing persons with disabilities from…
· Kelvin Yiadom
In a document presented to parliament’s Government Assurance Committee, the CEO of Minerals Commission, Martin Ayisi revealed that the government of former President John Dramani Mahama issued the highest number of licenses to small-scale miners which has contributed immensely to the mining challenges we face today.
· Discover Desks
“We appreciate the fact that life is not static, and changes are inevitable when necessary—but not at the whim of any particular body,” the statement read. “The reasons provided by PURC do not hold water.”
GUTA accused the PURC of overlooking deep-rooted structural inefficiencies in the utility sector that have contributed to rising costs and poor service delivery. The group cited inflated procurement costs, weak debt recovery systems—particularly from government institutions—and widespread illegal connections as key issues that continue to burden consumers.
The traders’ association further criticized the PURC for what it called a failure to effectively monitor and evaluate the operations of utility service providers, arguing that public funds are being mismanaged and “funnelled into private pockets” due to lax oversight.
“There is a failure… to ensure value for money and protect the public purse against corruption,” the statement said, calling for more stringent oversight and transparency in the sector.
As further evidence of systemic inefficiencies, GUTA referenced the unresolved matter of over 1,000 missing containers belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), some of which were reportedly found in private premises in Tema and intercepted in the Central Region.
The association insists that without tackling these core problems, the PURC has no moral justification to impose new financial burdens on consumers.
“If indeed the PURC is strict on management… most of the wastages due to a combination of factors, including stealing and corruption, would have been halted,” the statement concluded.