The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced the upward adjustment for the third quarter of 2026 on Monday, barely a month after lowering tariffs by 4.81% in the preceding quarter.
Collins Adomako-Mensah, deputy ranking member on parliament's energy committee, told reporters that cumulative electricity tariff increases since January 2025 have now reached 26.82%.
"The fundamentals do not support the increase," Adomako-Mensah said at a press briefing in parliament, pointing to a roughly 40% appreciation of the Ghanaian cedi against the U.S. dollar since early 2025 and a drop in central bank interest rates to 23% from 27%.
The PURC had justified the third-quarter upward review by citing a minor 0.2% depreciation of the cedi in the immediate loop and a 1.58% rise in natural gas production costs.
However, opposition lawmakers argue that because Ghana's power generation mix remained unchanged between April and July, the price hike represents an unnecessary strain on domestic manufacturing and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs).
The tariff battle comes at a sensitive time for the West African nation, which is navigating domestic growth strategies following the conclusion of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Credit Facility program.
With external lenders no longer dictating domestic fiscal adjustments, opposition leaders say responsibility for rising consumer costs sits entirely with the current administration's policy directives.
The new tariff structure, which also includes a minor 0.85% increase in water costs, is scheduled to take effect on July 1.
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