The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has criticised the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) for their inability to collect revenue. According to Benjamin Boakye, this has led to the accumulation of debt and power shortages for Ghanaians.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 16, Mr Boakye stated that people are stealing power, yet these distribution companies have failed to address the issue effectively.
He emphasised that both ECG and NEDCo are merely engaged in “optics by going to government facilities to disconnect them” rather than tackling traceable bills. Mr Boakye stated that the government is not evading responsibility and thus ECG can approach for negotiation on owed payments, adding that “you don’t go threatening the one you know.”
He highlighted the inefficiencies within the distribution companies, particularly the ECG, citing technical and commercial losses amounting to approximately 30%. “What that means is that if you give them GH₵2 billion worth of energy every month, they cannot account for almost GH₵600 million that goes to waste.
“And the government money you are chasing is not up to that money. Beyond that, the government is paying every month GH₵250 million for suppliers in the space so the hard work of going after those who are stealing power, we’re not seeing traction and the inefficiencies within the ECG itself, we’re not seeing how they are dealing with it,” he said.
By: Prince Adu-Owusu
