We welcome utility tariffs reduction
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) yesterday announced a reduction in utility tariffs in a press statement, with electricity set to go down by 4.81 per cent and water by 3.06 per cent from April 1, 2026.
The adjustments follow the routine quarterly review of tariffs by PURC, with the new adjustments scheduled to take effect in the second quarter of the year.
According to the commission, the adjustments have been carried out in line with the commission’s mandate to review tariffs every quarter to reflect developments within the quarter.
“The quarterly reviews track and incorporate movements in key factors for which their variability affects the operations of utility service providers,” the commission said in the press statement.
These factors, it said, were the exchange rate between the Ghana cedi and the United States dollar, domestic inflation rate, electricity generation mix, and the cost of fuel — mainly natural gas — to power the thermal plants.
“Having carefully analysed the aforementioned existing parameters, the commission wishes to announce a downward adjustment in electricity tariffs of an average reduction of 4.81 per cent and a 3.06 per cent reduction in water tariffs,” the PURC statement said.
Based on those elements, the adjustments were only a matter of course, given the relative stability of the currency, improved inflation conditions, and the strength of the cedi against the dollar.
The cedi’s ability to hold its own against major counterpart trading currencies has impacted inflation positively, with imported inflation in particular showing a continuous downward trend for nearly a full year cycle.
According to the latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service, imported inflation fell to 0.6 per cent from 2.0 per cent for February 2026, while general inflation dropped from 3.8 per cent in January 2026 to 3.3 per cent in February 2026.
It is appropriate, therefore, that the improved economic data reflect the circumstances of the average citizen.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, finds it most logical that consumers will now pay a bit lower than previously when the new tariff regime kicks in.
Our joy is more about the easing of the cost of tariffs on industry.
Entrepreneurs and businesses generally rely heavily on utilities for production.
Therefore, any intervention, including tariffs, that increases the cost of production undermines the essence of business and impacts even employment and the nation’s social system.
There is no denying the fact that utility services lately have not earned the trust of the public.
Beyond agitations over possibly faulty electricity meters that consume ‘’abnormally”, water supply across the country has been largely challenged.
The commonest and most convenient excuse for water supply deficit has been the impact of illegal mining, even though galamsey does not necessarily affect supply from the Weija Dam in Accra or the Kpong Dam, for instance.
As if these are not enough, Ghana Water Limited continues to issue monthly bills to consumers who have not had water running through their taps for months.
The poor services do not justify higher tariffs, and encourage unpatriotic attitudes by a section of society.
We, however, acknowledge the challenging circumstances in terms of resources and other relevant logistics within which these utility service providers operate.
It is our hope that the respective managements would find answers to the plethora of issues that confront them and make meaning of their mandates as utility services providers to improve delivery and the attendant costs to the Ghanaian citizen.
For now, we welcome the reduction in utility tariffs.
