Don't blame electricity tariff increments on IMF deal; NPP managed the electricity tariffs better - Gideon Boako to gov't

Dr. Gideon Boako is the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee. He is also the MP for Tano North. He has challenged the government's reasons for recent electricity tariff hikes. He urged them not to blame these increases on the ongoing IMF programme.

Dr. Boako noted that during similar IMF conditions, the NPP managed tariffs better. He believes this was in the interest of Ghanaians.

On Saturday, April 12, he shared a comparison of electricity tariff changes on Facebook. From 2009 to 2016, under the NDC, tariffs rose by 294.6%. This averages out to an increase of 36.8% each year.

In contrast, from 2017 to 2024, the NPP saw a cumulative increase of only 57.45%. This averages just 7.2% annually.

He highlighted that despite high increases under the NDC, Ghana faced “dumsor.” This refers to prolonged periods of erratic power supply.

Under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, power supply remained stable. Dr. Boako claimed this stability occurred even with minimal tariff adjustments.

He criticized the current administration for increasing electricity tariffs by 14.75% in their first four months. He stated that they promised to reduce living costs but failed to do so.

Dr. Boako concluded with a warning: “Do not blame this on any IMF programme.” He emphasized that data shows the NPP managed electricity tariffs better under similar conditions.