The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) has called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to suspend the implementation of its planned utility tariff increases scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
In a statement dated June 24 and signed by its President, Clement Boateng, GUTA argued that the reasons provided by PURC to justify the tariff adjustment do not warrant an increase at this time.
According to the Association, the factors cited by PURC, including exchange rate fluctuations, inflation, fuel costs and generation mix, do not accurately reflect current economic conditions.
PURC had attributed the tariff increment to exchange rate movements, rising inflation, fuel costs and changes in the generation mix.
However, GUTA maintained that the depreciation of the cedi between April and May was minimal and insufficient to justify an increase in utility tariffs.
“It is true that the cedi depreciated by an average of 4.18 per cent between April and May, but this depreciation is insignificant and does not call for any increment,” the statement said.
The Association also pointed out that inflation only increased marginally from 3.4 per cent in April to 3.7 per cent in May.
On fuel prices, GUTA noted that petroleum products recorded reductions during the second pricing window in June, with petrol prices falling by 9.3 per cent and diesel prices declining by 1.7 per cent.
The traders’ association further argued that there are currently no significant challenges with electricity generation that would justify adjustments based on the generation mix.
“On the issue of generation mix, there is no problem, as all the machines are working,” the statement added.
GUTA warned that the implementation of the new tariffs would increase production costs for manufacturers and businesses, leading to higher prices for goods and services.
According to the Association, rather than resorting to tariff increases, PURC should focus on addressing inefficiencies and operational waste within utility companies to improve revenue generation and service delivery.
“What PURC must be concerned with has to do with the inefficiencies and waste in the utility companies so that they can perform better and improve on their revenue assurance, and not always resorting to tariff increments,” GUTA stated.
The Association has therefore appealed to PURC to reconsider its decision and suspend the planned tariff increases to protect businesses and consumers from additional financial burdens.
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