The Minister-Designate for Energy, John Jinapor, emphasized the importance of involving the private sector as the most effective way to enhance the operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and increase revenue generation. His remarks came after President John Dramani Mahama announced on January 8th that discussions are underway about the potential privatization of power distribution in Ghana.
President Mahama cited persistent challenges within ECG, including operational inefficiencies, financial mismanagement, and poor service delivery, as key reasons for exploring private sector participation in the sector. Speaking on Eyewitness News, Jinapor emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues, stating that he plans to work on a transparent framework for the proposed reforms even before his formal swearing-in.
He reiterated that involving the private sector is the only way forward to improve ECG’s system and operations. “We don’t even want to wait until I am sworn in. We want to, as a technical team, work with some consultants with the World Bank and IMF to transparently determine the framework for how we are going to engage in the private sector.
“Especially with the billing and collection. It is either we set good KPIs go through a competitive tender process and get the best so that we can improve the systems at ECG. The truth is that we have no alternative but to involve the private sector. Where we have gotten to, it is the only option available,” he stated.
By: William Narh
