News:
May 20, 2025
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority in Parliament has pledged its support to any move by the Energy Minister to bring efficiency to the sector.
According to the Minority at a press conference on Monday, the Minister admitted to them that he has a major challenge with government agencies honouring their payment obligations to the Electricity Company of Ghana as they always accuse the Finance Ministry’s delays in releasing funds to them.
Deputy ranking on the Finance Committee and Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North, Alex Adomanko Mensah recalled an earlier program to connect all MMDAs to prepaid meters to curtail the phenomenon which never materialized.
However, he was confident that reintroduction and implementation of the program will cure the menace.
“I think that is one of the solutions that the Minority will insist or will support any idea to ensure that there are prepaid meters in all the MMDAS to ensure that you consume what you buy, so that they don’t pile up debts for the government”.
He urged the finance minister to be forthcoming with releases to government agencies to ensure they (agencies) honour their payments to ECG since all these are budgeted for.
“So our approach is that we’ll support the Minister to push for prepaid meters in all these institutions to ensure that payments are forthcoming” except those critical areas that require different approach including hospitals, security agencies, theaters among others.
On the government’s move to bring in private participation in the operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana, the deputy ranking noted that the NPP is not opposed to the idea as it was part of their manifesto for the 2024 elections.
What they will not allow is a complete privatization of ECG which would not be in the interest of the state.
“I think as a Minority, we’re not against any effort to bring in efficiency in the collection of bills; we don’t have any problem with that. But we’re not for private privatization of ECG, that we are not for. We don’t think that ECG as a strategic asset should be handed over entirely to a private individual. But if efforts are to be put in place to ensure that at the retail end we are able to be efficient in our collection, the Minority is not against that”, he added.
Dominic Shirimori/Ghanamps.com