The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has launched that it will not attend a public listening to organised by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on proposals to increase utility tariffs for the 2025–2029 interval.

In a press launch signed by the celebration’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, and issued on October 6, the NPP outlined that it had obtained an invitation from the PURC to participate in a “Public Hearing on Submitted Utility Tariff Proposal for the 2025–2029 Multi-Year Tariff Review.”

According to the assertion, the PURC’s invitation, dated September 9, talked about the intention of the engagement was to momentary stakeholders on proposals submitted by regulated utilities, along with VRA, GRIDCo, ECG, NEDCo, GWL, GNPC, and EPC, regarding their tariff critiques.

However, the NPP talked about it sees no justification for attending such a gathering, describing any discussions on attainable tariff will improve as “unwarranted” and “insensitive” given the current monetary hardship confronted by Ghanaians.

“The Party would not see any justification for any engagement on attainable utility tariff increment at this second when Ghanaians are already overburdened by the rising value of residing occasioned largely by authorities’s introduction of newest taxes along with the model new energy sector levy popularly commonly known as the ‘Dumsor Levy’,” the assertion be taught.

The NPP further criticised the levy, describing it as one which was “hurriedly handed by the NDC Majority in Parliament beneath the quilt of darkness.”

It argued that the levy alone generates essential revenue and have to be sufficient to assist the operations of utility companies.

“The ‘Dumsor Levy’ alone rakes in over GH₵575 million every month and over GH₵5.7 billion yearly for the federal authorities. We submit that part of this money be used to assist the operations of the regulated utility companies,” the assertion added.

The celebration moreover rejected what it described as “false claims” from authorities spokespersons suggesting that the proposed tariff modifications had been linked to conditions beneath the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

“The NPP completely rejects the makes an try by authorities spokespersons who’re claiming that this latest switch to increase utility tariffs is linked to a supposed IMF conditionality. This is palpably false,” the assertion talked about.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the current IMF programme is scheduled to complete subsequent yr (2026), nevertheless the proposed astronomical increment in tariffs is anticipated to take impression from 2026 to 2029.”

The assertion accused the federal authorities of mismanaging regulated utility companies and unfairly burdening residents with excessive levies and prices.

“From all indications, what’s simply not not sure is that Ghanaians are being unduly levied to pay for the federal authorities’s incompetence throughout the administration of these regulated utility companies.”

The NPP described the proposed tariff will improve as “unacceptable” and vowed to resist any attempt to impose them on prospects.

“This, the NPP finds unacceptable and may use all respected means to fight any such attempt to slap Ghanaians with these imminent astronomical will improve in utility tariffs.”

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