Business

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced a 2.45% increase in electricity tariffs for all categories of consumers, effective July 1, 2025.

The adjustment follows the Commission’s routine quarterly review, conducted every three months. However, water tariffs will remain unchanged for the third quarter of the year.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 25, the PURC explained that the tariff adjustment is part of its Quarterly Tariff Review Mechanism, which considers key economic variables including the cedi-to-dollar exchange rate, inflation, natural gas prices, and the electricity generation mix between hydro and thermal sources.

According to the Commission, these factors significantly impact the cost of delivering utility services and must be reviewed regularly to sustain the financial health of service providers.

“For electricity, the Commission has approved a 2.45% upward adjustment,” the statement said. “Water tariffs have been maintained at current levels, reflecting a 0% change.”

The PURC emphasized its commitment to balancing the interests of utility companies and consumers while ensuring reliable service delivery.

Breakdown of Factors Considered

Key variables influencing the new electricity rates include:

Exchange rate: GHS10.3052 per US dollar

Inflation: 20.67% projected annual average

Natural gas price: USD7.7134 per MMBtu

Hydro-Thermal mix: 28.8% hydro and 71.2% thermal

Outstanding revenue: GHS488 million carried over from previous quarters

New Electricity Tariffs

Lifeline customers (0–30 kWh): Increase from 77.6274 to 79.5308 GHp/kWh

Residential (301+ kWh): Up from 232.3892 to 238.0873 GHp/kWh

Non-residential (301+ kWh): Increased from 197.3338 to 202.1723 GHp/kWh

High Voltage Mines: Up from 495.9255 to 508.0854 GHp/kWh

Service charges across categories remain unchanged.

Water Tariffs Unaffected

All water rates across residential, non-residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional categories remain unchanged. The Commission justified this freeze as part of efforts to ease the burden on consumers while maintaining quality service.

Commitment to Accountability

PURC reiterated its commitment to monitoring the performance of regulated service providers and ensuring accountability to regulatory standards.

“We thank stakeholders for their continued support and assure the public of our resolve to ensure value for money and improved service delivery,” the release stated.

 

By:Abigail Arthur

 

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will, from July 1, 2025, commence a 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) on non-life insurance premiums.

“Starting July 1, 2025, a 15% VAT will be applied to non-life insurance premiums in Ghana”, the Authority said on its social media pages.

According to the GRA, the tax will affect property, health, and travel.

Motor insurance is however exempted.

The tax handle is expected to improve revenue collection for the government to help meet the government’s target set in the 2025 budget.

What does it mean?

By this, individuals or businesses will pay 15 per cent more to insurance companies in exchange for an insurance policy, which provides financial protection against potential losses or damages.

This will bring additional cost to policy holders.Source: Joy Business

Accra,Ghana, June 23, 2025–Demonstrating its commitment to advancing Africa’s development,MTN Group supported the 2025 Economic Governance School training for public officialsfrom Ghana, South Africa and Kenya held in Accra last week.

Participants in a group photograph                  The delegates at OICI

The initiative, the result of collaboration between South Africa’sNational School of Government (NSG), the Kenya School of Government(KSG) and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA)is designed to strengthen senior leadership in the public sector and promote inclusive economic governance across the continent.

It brings together legislatures, politicians and senior officials from all levels of the public service for a week of peer learning, policy dialogue and institutional exchange. Consequently, the delegation took time to visit the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, which is charged with coordinating the creation of a single continental market for goods and services across Africa.

Antionette Kwofie                                   Ms.Pinky Kekana                         Patrick Gacghagua

“As a pan-African business, we understand that Africa’s growth depends not only on investment in infrastructure, but also in people and institutions,” said Nompilo Morafo, MTN Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer.

 

Since the training took place during MTN Group’s flagship 21 Days of Y’ello Care, the delegation also visited the MTN Ghana-supported Opportunities Industrialisation Centre (OICG), which provides vocational, digital, and entrepreneurial skills training for young people to enable them to earn a decent and dignified living.

 

“At MTN, we believe that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected life; therefore, in our view, education, training and strong institutions form the foundation for sustained progress. Also, when civil servants, policymakers and administrators are equipped with high-quality training, their collective decisions shape a more equitable, innovative and resilient future for their nations.”

 

MTN’s involvement reflects its broader approach to driving Africa’s progress through investment in leadership and institutional capacity. In addition to sponsoring the NSG, KSG and GIMPA programme, the Group contributed to the discourse, with senior executives participating in sessions focused on telecommunications, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and infrastructure financing.

 

MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett and CIO Bernard Acquah joined Morafo in engaging on panels that explored the intersection of technology and governance. Discussions focused on the digital transformation of public services and the role of AI and infrastructure investment in supporting state capacity and economic inclusion.

 

South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration Ms.Pinky Kekana, described the initiative as a valuable platform for engagement on governance challenges, saying: “The Economic Governance School offers a unique platform for elected and appointed public leaders to engage in critical analysis and reflective dialogue on the complex challenges confronting governance.”

 

Director of GIMPA, Prof. Samuel Kwadwo Bonsu, welcomed MTN’s contribution and the cross-sector collaboration underpinning the programme:“We are proud as GIMPA to serve, not only as a centre of learning but as a convening ground for critical reflection and collaboration.”

 

 

Ends.

Media Contacts:

Adwoa Wiafe

Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer

Email:  MTNGhana.MediaOffice@mtn.com

 

Georgina Asare Fiagbenu

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

Email:  MTNGhana.MediaOffice@mtn.com

 

Editor’s note: Unedited statement reproduced below;

“On Saturday, 10th May 2025, I booked a flight with AWA airline from Accra to Kumasi with booking reference ESCJLV, ticket number 3940231057054, seat number 3A and flight number AW 112. The departure time was 14:10pm at Accra and arrival at Kumasi was 14:50pm.

Edmund Kyei

I got there around 11:30am waiting for my departure time, at 14:20pm, AWA management gave a communique about flight delay and an official apology was given at 16:30pm and asked us to exercise patience as they work on getting us a flight. At 18:00pm, they had a flight for us and we boarded, exactly 3 minutes after boarding, management gave out another info that Asantehene is having a program in Kumasi and there is curfew placed on flights landing in Kumasi.

 

There were disagreement between passengers and AWA management and for about 20 minutes passengers refused to leave the flight which I stood in and pleaded with passengers to understand them and leave the flight. AWA management pledged to return our monies back to us since they can’t fly us to Kumasi.

I later booked for Passion air and I was booked at 18:30pm as departure time from Accra to Kumasi. Passion air departed at the departure time with no excuses, I got to Kumasi and per my investigations on that day, there was no curfew placed on flights arriving at Kumasi.

Days after, I made an official complain at the AWA office in Kumasi and they requested for my boarding pass, Ghana card and my reference number through an email they provided, waited for a week without any response and I made another complain at AWA Accra office too and nothing has been done about it till now.

Aside their failure to refund back our monies, my other concern has been about their high cost ticket purchase. In May this year, I traveled to Canada on a business trip where I took a flight with Air Canada JFK airport to Pearson airport which is about an hour and 40 minutes. I was charged 390 Dollars which is about Ghc4,000, though this travels many hours and is more comfortable. AWA and some local flights which travel for less hours and it’s not comfortable traveling in compared to Air Canada charges higher than them when converted to Ghana Cedis.

I am pleading with the Government to act on their high cost since it is a means of milking Ghanaians and can affect business and economic growth. Ghanaians should also voice out our displeasure though demonstrations and boycott.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) Dr. Johnson Asiama has assured that the country has built the needed buffers to withstand external threats to the economy, particularly from the Iran Israel war in the Middle East.

According to Dr. Asiama, “Ghana’s foreign reserve position, inflation trajectory, and fiscal adjustment efforts provide a solid cushion for the country now”.

He disclosed this at the Ghana Association of Banks Industry Thought Leadership programme themed, “Banking the Last Mile: An Industry-Led Strategy for Accelerating Digital Finance”

Dr. Johnson Asiama

Monitoring the situation

Dr. Asiama said the Bank of Ghana is closely monitoring the situation and its potential impact.

“I wish to assure the public that Ghana’s macroeconomic buffers are stronger today than they have been in recent years”, he reiterated.

He also announced that Ghana is actively engaging the country’s international partners to remain responsive to any external shocks.

He added that “the Bank stands ready to take prudent and pre-emptive measures to preserve Ghana’s Economic Stability and protect the progress that made”.

Middle East tension and Ghana

The Chief Executive of the Ghana Chamber of Oil Marketing Companies Dr. Riverson Oppong last week told JOYBUSINESS that oil prices could start going up from July 1, 2025 if crude oil prices on the international market continue to rise as a result of the Israel Iran war.

This could bring to an end, the consistent decline in prices of petroleum products at the pumps since February 2025.

Since June 16, prices of oil have started declining from US$78 this week to about US$74 a barrel.

President John Mahama recently directed Finance and Energy Ministers to quickly put in place measures to mitigate the expected shocks to the Ghanaian economy.

“Despite the work we have done in stabilizing the economy, Ghana is not immune from the shocks of global events,” he said.

JOYBUSINESS understand that some of the measures could be announced before the Mid-Year Budget review.

Sources close to government have told JOYBUINESS that several options are on the table.Source: Joy Business

OP-ED by Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President & CEO   Connectivity is more than technology; it’s about opportunity, making digital inclusion a critical catalyst for the continent’s socioeconomic growth When people ask what progress looks like, I typically point to a classroom in rural Uganda that has digital access for the first time. Or to an entrepreneur in Cameroon using MTN’s mobile money platform, MoMo, to run her business. Or a solar-powered site in Ghana, connecting people in places that have no hard infrastructure.   For us at MTN, this is our work. It’s how we live our purpose: enabling the benefits of a modern connected life for everyone across our markets. It is the framework that guides how we invest, partner, innovate, and govern our business.

In 2024, we invested nearly R30bn in infrastructure and technology and paid income taxes of more than R10bn. These contributions matter. But it’s what they enable  such as jobs and opportunities  that defines us.   In 2024, we powered digital connectivity for 291-million people, including internet access for 158-million users and financial services for 63-million through MoMo. About 93% of the population in our markets or 500-million people  are now covered by our broadband network.   We facilitated digital literacy for 22-million people, promoting meaningful participation in the digital economy. Through our GSM network and MoMo businesses, we supported 3.5-million indirect jobs.

 

Ralph Mupita, MTN Group President & CEO

Since its inception in 2007, our group-wide employee volunteerism programme  21 Days of Y’ello Care sees MTNers roll up their sleeves to improve the lives of their communities. Over the years, we have impacted hundreds of thousands of people. The campaign is a testament to the power of collective action, reminding us that even small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect of change.   Progress is never a solo effort. It requires collaboration across public and private sectors, across borders and disciplines. Whether it’s partnering with governments to expand coverage, working with innovators to extend digital finance, or engaging civil society to deepen inclusion, we know the best results come when we listen and co-create.   Keeping consumer experiences safe is part of the responsibility we carry. We know that trust is earned and we remain focused on building resilience, protecting digital human rights, and responding transparently when challenges arise. We carry this responsibility with humility and determination. And it’s the lens through which we will continue to serve and invest. Amid the current significant geopolitical shifts and technological developments, it’s clear that Africa needs to chart and champion its own growth and progress. If it doesn’t, there is a real risk that the continent gets left behind. Embracing technologies such as 5G, non-terrestrial networks and generative AI will be key drivers of future progress and socioeconomic development.   At MTN, we believe that there are some foundational policy positions that will be critical for technology to meaningfully drive more inclusive growth. These include: A conducive policy and regulatory environment to accelerate investment in digital infrastructure. Sufficient spectrum resources to meet surging demand for data services. A fair and transparent regulatory regime for terrestrial networks, non-terrestrial networks and OTT services. Competition policy to enable market consolidation given the sector’s significant investment requirements. Fiscal policy reforms to make further progress on digital and financial inclusion, such as the reduction in import duties on smartphones and the removal of levies on mobile money transactions. Investment in critical infrastructure, including reliable grid power. Digital skills development to advance the development of the digital economy.   These foundational policy positions, consistently adopted across the continent, have the power to drive structural growth of the digital economy of Africa, and realise the continent’s full potential as we look to achieve the goals of the AU Agenda 2063 and beyond.   Read the full article here: Business Live