Minister of State-designate for the finance ministry, Abena Osei-Asare, has said the losses incurred by the Electricity Company Ghana (ECG) is also to be blamed on the behaviour of citizens.
Admitting that Ghana is facing some challenges in the energy sector during her appearance before the Parliament’s Appointments Committee on March 13, 2024, she indicated that government has with the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), put plans in place for reforms in the sector.
She however urged Ghanaians to desist from consuming power illegally and be more responsible for making payments for the power they consume.
“Truly, we have quite some challenging issues in the energy space that we need to address and as part of the reforms, we were to come up with an energy sector reform plan and it’s gone through the process. We’ve met stakeholders and we’ve gathered their inputs and so I believe that the energy sector reform plan will help us. This is something that is supported by the IMF and they are also given us technical knowledge on some of these things and I believe that once we complete this plan, we will be happy to share with the various committees and to also see how best you can all help implement the energy sector recovery plan.
She added “Yes, it is a big issue in the energy space that we need to look at but we also have to do our part. ECG loses about 30% of the investment in the power it produces. How does it come about? The illegal structures, illegal meters and everything, are human beings who do these things.
“So, in as much as government is doing its part, we as citizens will also have to change our attitudes towards these things and that is the only way together, we can succeed and address these issues.