Political parties must provide coherent strategy for energy sector – Energy experts

Energy experts are worried there is no coherent strategy put forward by political parties to create a more sustainable energy sector.

The recent power crisis hit businesses hard – forcing some companies to lay off workers. It is one of the critical subjects expected to influence voters’ decision in the lead up to the December polls.

This would also undoubtedly require the next administration to be persistent with ongoing efforts to optimize effective generation and distribution if industry will contribute meaningfully to national development.

The various political parties have each indicated plans to deal with the energy situation but experts at a forum organized by the Africa Centre for Energy Policy to review the energy and petroleum sector promises ahead of the elections felt the manifestos were short of addressing the issues.

Photo: Kweku Awotwi
“We are just coming out of a fairly traumatic energy crisis. There wasn’t really any attempt to address the root causes of the energy crisis”, former Volta River Authority boss Kweku Awotwi said.

Deputy Director of the Natural Resource Governance Institute, Emmanuel Kuyole observed that the political parties’ manifestos lacked the framework that links the extractive sector to the country’s long-term development plans.

Photo: Emmanuel Kuyole
“A coherent national socio-economic vision that maximizes employment and also industrial development in a very transparent manner and how the extractive sector sits within that is one thing I found missing”, Kuyole noted.

Another expert at the forum, the Executive Director of the Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment Ishmael Edjekumhene indicated that the political parties failed to set specific targets

Photo: Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam
“You don’t just say I will do this. How do I measure what you said you are going to do if you don’t tell me you were going to do 200 and you ended up doing hundred”.

Meanwhile, The Executive Director of the Africa Center for Energy Policy, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam on his part said the uncertainty about the energy sector in the coming year makes it crucial for voters to be well informed about the proposals of the various political parties to enable them properly decide.

The forum to review political parties manifestoes for the energy sector was the third in a series.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com | Daryl Kwawu | Joy Business