The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has held an investment hearing with key utility service providers as part of its regulatory reform agenda aimed at enhancing transparency and ensuring prudent capital expenditure ahead of the 2025 major tariff review process.
The event, held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, brought together major stakeholders including the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo), and Enclave Power Company (EPC) to present their finalized investment plans to the Commission.
Speaking at the opening of the session, Acting Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr. Shafic Suleman, explained that the hearing forms a critical part of the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) process.
“So, today’s event is to invite all the utilities in Ghana to come and make presentations to PURC. We’ll use it as a basis to establish the regulated asset base,” he said.
He emphasized that the process began earlier in the year and has involved several stages of evaluation and feedback.
“It started in February, where we had the preliminary investment hearing from all the utilities. They came to make presentations to us. We looked at their investment plans, advised them where there were issues, and today they’re making their final investment plans presentation to the Commission,” Dr. Suleman added.
According to him, the Commission will use the hearing to identify and lock in critical investments needed in the utility space for the next three years, ensuring only justifiable expenditures are factored into future tariff adjustments.
Engaging the Utilities
The full-day event was structured into three sessions, each dedicated to one utility provider. The Volta River Authority (VRA) opened the presentations at 10:20 am, followed by a cross-examination by the PURC panel. In the afternoon, the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) took the floor at 1:30 pm. The day concluded with a presentation by the Enclave Power Company (EPC) at 3:30 pm, after which the hearing was formally closed.
Each utility was engaged by a panel chaired by Prof. Ebenezer Bugri Anarfo, who led the assessment of proposed investments to ensure alignment with national regulatory benchmarks.
The investment hearing forms part of PURC’s broader reforms to deepen oversight in Ghana’s utility sector. By carefully evaluating investment proposals before approving tariff adjustments, the Commission hopes to protect consumer interest while promoting sector sustainability.
This hearing marks a key step in the run-up to the 2025 major tariff review and underscores PURC’s commitment to fairness, efficiency, and accountability in utility regulation.
By Victor Ablormeti
