Accountability for power: Eric Dawda invokes RTI Act to demand justification for rising utility tariffs

A private legal practitioner, Eric Dawda, Esq., has formally challenged the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to disclose the full basis for recent and ongoing increases in electricity and water tariffs, citing growing public concern over the rising cost of living.

In a Right to Information (RTI) request filed on 16 January 2026, Dawda invoked Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution and the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), demanding what he described as the “factual, legal, accounting, and economic justifications” underpinning the tariff adjustments approved by the commission.

The request comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of regulatory decisions affecting millions of households and businesses, amid persistent economic pressures.

In his filing, Dawda is asking the PURC to release detailed information on the variables, assumptions, and methodologies used in determining current tariffs. This includes audited financial statements and management accounts submitted to the commission by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

He is also seeking evidence of “prudence tests” conducted by the regulator to assess which costs were deemed reasonable for transfer to consumers, as well as records of any costs that were disallowed or adjusted during the tariff-setting process.

Further, the request asks whether technical and commercial losses, operational inefficiencies, or other performance gaps within the utility companies were factored into the final pricing decisions.

Subsidies and fiscal assumptions

Another key aspect of the request focuses on fiscal exposure. Dawda is demanding clarity on whether the approved tariffs assume the existence of government subsidies, arrears clearance mechanisms, or other forms of state financial support, and how these assumptions influenced the final tariff outcomes.

Consumer impact under scrutiny

The request places strong emphasis on consumer protection, asking the PURC to disclose any socio-economic impact assessments conducted prior to the tariff increases. These assessments, if they exist, would show how the adjustments affect households, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other productive sectors of the economy.

Dawda has also requested records of public hearings and stakeholder consultations held as part of the tariff review process, to ascertain how consumer concerns were considered in the commission’s final determinations.

In addition, he is seeking a comparative analysis of the current tariff adjustments against those approved over the past five years.

Accountability and regulatory governance

In his statement accompanying the request, Dawda said the action was taken in the public interest to promote transparency, accountability, and informed public discourse on utility pricing and regulatory governance.

The PURC, under the RTI Act, is required to respond to the request within the statutory timeframe. Where access to any part of the information is denied, the commission must provide written reasons and cite the specific legal exemptions relied upon.

The legal move places the PURC under renewed public scrutiny, as consumers await clearer explanations for persistent increases in electricity and water bills at a time of prevailing economic hardship.