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12.08.2022 Headlines

Address energy sector challenges; it's contributing to Ghana’s economic woes – CSOs to Energy Ministry

Samuel Bekoe, Member of the Alliance of CSOs working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good GovernanceSamuel Bekoe, Member of the Alliance of CSOs working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance
12.08.2022 LISTEN

The Alliance of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance has attributed inefficiencies to challenges in the energy sector.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, August 11, member of the Alliance Samuel Bekoe charged the Minister of Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh to lead the way to address the challenges facing the sector.

He said the challenges in the energy sector are partly accountable for the current economic crisis.

Mr. Bekoe who is Executive Director of the Centre for Extractive and Development disclosed that losses in the energy sector alone have cost Ghana over GHS14 billion in the last two years.

He said the Alliance of CSOs working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance demand that the Energy Ministry take steps to address the inefficiencies in the sector contributing to the collapse of the Ghanaian economy.

“The challenges in the energy sector have contributed significantly to the current economic challenges that Ghana faces. The inefficiencies and losses in the sector have cost the country over GHS14 billion in 2020 and 2021, with an outstanding debt of about GHS17.6 billion.

“Without a handle on debt accumulation and the fiscal challenges, the sector would continue to exacerbate the country's economic challenges and stifle social investments to fight poverty and inequality,” Samuel Bekoe told the media at the press conference organised on the back of the recent controversy on the relocation of the Ameri Plant from Takoradi to Kumasi.

The member of the Alliance of CSOs working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance further noted that addressing the debt accumulation challenges requires the government to be efficient in its decision-making and make changes to ensure system planning that employs sound policy, financial, and legal expertise to holistically examine the energy sector's problems.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of CSOs working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption, and Good Governance has urged the Ministry of Energy to adopt a competitive bidding process in its bid to award a contract for the relocation of the Ameri Plant to save cost.

The Alliance also wants the Ministry to engage stakeholders on plans to relocate the plant and prioritise other options that will stabilise the power supply in the middle belt without necessarily relocating the Ameri Plant.

Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo
Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo

JournalistPage: EricNanaYawKwafo

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