The Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, has criticised the latest increase in electricity and water tariffs.
He questioned why Ghanaians are paying more for utility services even though the government says the economy is improving.
He said the new tariff increase, which took effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, will make life even harder for families and businesses.
According to him, many people are already struggling because of recent floods, frequent power outages and the high cost of living.
His comments come after the utility regulator announced a new increase in electricity and water tariffs.
Under the Commission’s third-quarter tariff review, electricity tariffs have gone up by 3.49 percent, while water tariffs have increased by 0.85 percent.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 1, Sammi Awuku said it was disappointing that Ghanaians were marking Republic Day with another rise in utility bills instead of something to celebrate.
“How much more are Ghanaians expected to endure?” he asked.
He said July 1 is an important day in Ghana’s history because it marks the country’s transition to a republic and represents freedom, resilience and self-determination.
However, he said the day would also be remembered as the date of the fifth utility tariff increase under the current government in just 18 months.
Awuku said many people were still trying to recover from the recent floods and ongoing power outages when they were hit with another increase in electricity and water bills.
“Just when people are struggling to recover, they are being told to dig deeper into their pockets once again,” he said.
The Akuapem North MP listed what he described as the utility tariff increases introduced since the current government took office. He said electricity tariffs increased by 14.75 percent and water tariffs by 4.02 percent in May 2025.
He added that electricity tariffs went up again by 2.45 percent in July 2025 and by another 1.14 percent in October 2025.
According to him, electricity tariffs also increased by 9.86 percent in January 2026, while water tariffs rose by 15.92 percent. He noted that the latest review, which took effect on July 1, raised electricity tariffs by another 3.49 percent and water tariffs by 0.85 percent.
Awuku questioned the government’s claims that the economy is getting better. He argued that the continuous increase in utility tariffs does not match the government’s message about lower inflation and a stronger Cedi.
“Yet, this is the same government that keeps telling us inflation is down, and the Cedi is stronger. If the economy is doing so well, why are the bills of ordinary Ghanaians getting heavier with almost every tariff review?” he asked.
He said the tariff increases affect ordinary Ghanaians the most, including market women, barbers, cold store operators, hairdressers, welders, teachers and young entrepreneurs.
“The market woman doesn’t pay her bills with inflation figures. The barber doesn’t pay his ECG bill with exchange rate statistics. The cold store owner, the hairdresser, the welder, the teacher, the young entrepreneur, and the ordinary family all pay with money from their pockets,” he said.
Awuku said Ghanaians were promised better living conditions, but instead they continue to face higher utility costs.
“At a time when many are dealing with the effects of floods, recurring power outages, and an ever-rising cost of living, the last thing they need is another increase in electricity and water bills.
“Ghanaians were promised relief. What they are experiencing instead is one increase after another. Enough is enough,” he said.
