By Peter Adofo-Asante
Ghana’s parliamentary minority caucus on energy has tasked the government to set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for managements of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Distribution Company (NEDCo) to reduce operational losses.
The minority caucus held a press conference in Accra on May 19, 2025, to respond to recent comments by the sector minister which, according to them, affect investor confidence as well as the Ghanaian energy consuming public.
The Minority’s Ranking Member on Energy, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye, who addressed the media, charged the sector minister to deal with the challenges of the Cash Water Fall mechanism and enforce it to alleviate the challenges confronting the sector.
He questioned why the government had failed to diversify the Energy Mix with renewables and gas optimization (maximizing Jubilee and TEN fields to reduce reliance on imported fuels).
According to him, government must swiftly encourage off-peak consumption by industries to flatten demand curve.
Hon. Aboagye, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asene-Manso, urged the sector minister to accelerate the roll-out of smart metering to curb theft and increase revenue mobilization.
“We also understand and know some of the challenges are forex-related and believe the current appreciation of the Ghana cedi is an opportunity to recover some losses in the sector. Today, however, a new generation (Generation Alpha’s) is experiencing power outages for the first time, reminiscent of the dark days of “dumsor” that plagued us from 2012 to 2016…This is not merely a matter of nostalgia; it is a call to action,” he pointed out.
He stressed that Ghanaian had already endured a 14.75% increase in electricity tariffs this year, and they rightfully expect a corresponding improvement in service quality and reliability.
“We, the minority caucus, firmly believe that any increase in tariffs must be accompanied by enhanced service delivery. We cannot accept poor performance while paying exorbitant prices.
“The specter of returning to the dark days of “dumsor” is unacceptable. We recognise the financial challenges facing the industry, but if Minister John Jinapor requires assistance, he must seek it and prioritize action over rhetoric. And this shouldn’t be a window for him to sign on to dubious contracts which will saddle the industry as they were noted for,” he said.
“We demand action and results from the Minister of Energy and the government. It is time to stop the talking and put the lights on,” he added.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
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