Ghanaians should be ready to face hikes in electricity tariffs, the Minority in Parliament has warned.

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This comes after government promised in its 2018 budget that electricity tariffs will be reduced to bring relief to consumers.

In November last year, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said government will make recommendations with the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) to ensure a 13% reduction in electricity tariffs.

Delivering his presentation on the 2018 budget, he said the reduction is expected to bring “relief to the poor whose individual consumption actually falls in the subsidized life-line category”.

However, the Minority believe the reduction claims by government were nothing realistic.

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According to the Minority Spokesperson on Energy, Adams Mutawakilu, the NPP government has taken no steps in ensuring that their reduction promise is fulfilled.

He said checks by the Minority with the PURC rather indicate that there will soon be an increment in electricity tariffs, contrary to government’s promise.

According to him, no recommendation has been made to the board of PURC with regards to any reduction in electricity tariffs.

“You cannot go and announce you are reducing tariffs [because] the PURC as an economic regulator is independent,” Mr Mutawakilu said in an interview with Joy News.

He further accused the government of interfering in the affairs of the PURC, while labeling its tactics with the Commission as a “gimmick”.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Energy Minister Dr Amin Adam has rejected the claims made by the Minority.

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Dr Adam insisted that government has submitted a proposal to the PURC, adding that “the public will also get an opportunity to make inputs”.

According to him, the recommendation is based on ensuring a reduction in electricity tariffs as well as improving power distribution.