The Minority in Parliament has argued that the recent reductions in electricity and water tariffs cast doubt on government claims that last year’s price hikes were dictated by conditions under Ghana’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) announced that electricity tariffs will fall by 4.81% and water tariffs by 3.06%, effective from April 1, 2026.

The regulator explained that the adjustments are part of its routine quarterly review, aimed at maintaining the financial stability of utility providers while reducing the cost burden on consumers.

Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, said the tariff cuts contradict previous assertions by Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, who had maintained that the 2025 increases were linked to commitments under the IMF agreement negotiated by the previous administration.

“Throughout 2025, we saw successive quarterly hikes. When we questioned them, the government said these were conditions agreed by the former NPP government under the IMF programme,” he noted.

Adomako-Mensah added that the PURC bases its tariff adjustments on key economic indicators—including inflation, the cedi-dollar exchange rate, electricity generation mix, and fuel costs—rather than predetermined increases.

“This reduction confirms that tariff changes are responsive to economic conditions at the time and are not automatically upward,” he said.

The PURC emphasised that the review reflects movements in macroeconomic indicators and forms part of its mandate to balance utility provider sustainability with consumer protection.