The Member of Parliament for Akuapem North has launched a sharp attack on government over the latest hike in electricity and water tariffs, accusing officials of heaping further hardship on Ghanaians even as they tout economic gains.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, Sammi Awuku called the timing of the adjustment coinciding with Republic Day celebrations ironic and tone-deaf, arguing that households and businesses already grappling with floods, persistent power outages and rising living costs were being pushed to “dig deeper into their pockets once again.”
“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.
Awuku noted that July 1 a day meant to symbolise Ghana’s freedom and resilience would instead go down as the fifth utility tariff increase in just 18 months under the current administration. He listed a string of hikes dating back to May 2025, starting with a 14.75% rise in electricity tariffs and a 4.02% jump in water tariffs, followed by subsequent adjustments in July and October 2025, January 2026, and now July 2026.
The most recent review pushed electricity tariffs up by 3.49% and water tariffs by 0.85%. Awuku contended that these repeated increases fly in the face of government’s narrative of falling inflation and a stronger cedi.
“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 wrote, adding that Ghanaians had been promised relief but instead faced “one increase after another.”