The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) has called on the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to suspend any planned increases in electricity and water tariffs, warning that such adjustments could place additional pressure on businesses and households already struggling with rising living costs.
According to GUTA, the current economic environment remains challenging for traders, manufacturers, and small business owners.
The association argues that frequent increases in utility tariffs significantly raise the cost of doing business, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that rely heavily on electricity and water for daily operations.
GUTA, in a statement issued on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, noted that many businesses are still recovering from previous cost increases, including inflationary pressures, currency fluctuations, and high transportation expenses.
The group believes that introducing new tariff hikes at this time could lead to higher prices for goods and services, ultimately affecting consumers nationwide.
The traders’ association is urging the PURC to engage more broadly with key private-sector stakeholders before making final decisions on utility pricing. It further called for a review of operational efficiencies within utility providers to ensure that cost-reflective tariffs do not disproportionately burden the public.
It argued that the cedi’s depreciation of 4.18 per cent between April and May is insignificant to warrant an increment, while inflation’s rise from 3.4 per cent to 3.7 per cent is also minimal.
GUTA further noted that fuel prices declined in the second pricing window in June, with petrol dropping by 9.3 per cent and diesel by 1.7 per cent, adding that there are no issues with the generation mix as all equipment is functioning properly.
GUTA said PURC, therefore, has no justification for the tariff increment.
“The cedi indeed depreciated by an average of 4.18% between April and May, but this depreciation is insignificant, which does not call for any increment.
“Inflation just rose from 3.4% in April to 3.7% in May, which is also minimal. Regarding fuel prices, they fell in the second pricing window in June. Petrol fell by 9.3% and diesel by 1.7%.
“On the issue of Generation Mix, there is no problem, as all the machines are working. PURC has no justification for this tariff increment,” he said.
