John Jinapor the minister for Energy and Green Transition has stated Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to pay their electricity bills except for the health sector.
According to the minister, the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that owe the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) risk being disconnected if they fail to pay their debts.
The Energy minister stated that the health sector, security agencies, educational sector and the presidency are exempted from these new directives.
Speaking to members of the Energy Committee of Parliament, Mr Jinapor stated, ”Yesterday [Wednesday], I was listening to a news item where Ghana Water made a complaint that, because of some erratic power situation, they are unable to supply adequately. I empathise with them. And I think that what we’ve inherited, we should improve it. But the other note is that Ghana Water hasn’t paid even one cedi for seven months”.
“If you don’t pay one cedi for seven months and it adds up to one billion, the power sector will not be stable. The private sector or ordinary citizens alone cannot be called upon to shoulder the burden. The water is produced, and the water is sold. ECG must collect the money. And as minister, I will insist that ECG should collect the money.
“The taxpayers’ money should not be used to subsidise ECG’s inability to collect the money. Ghana Water must collect its money. It sells the water. I consume water, I pay for it. I consume electricity, I pay for it. This is the only way we can bring about efficiency and turn the sector around,” he stated.
He added, “Cabinet has also adopted a position, and we’ll brief you, chairman. All MMDAs are supposed to pay for their electricity bills. They have to budget for it. We’ve identified what we call critical institutions.
They include the health sector, the education sector, the security agencies and the presidency. So if you take the health sector, it’s the theatres, the laboratories, the wards, that will be exempted.
If you take the education institutions, dormitories are not part, restaurants are not part, only lecture theaters, and so we’ve classified that. And cabinet is granting approval and will publish that. Even what we term as critical institutions, the Minister of Finance will have to budget for it and pay,” Mr Jinapor explained.
See the post below:
Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to pay their own electricity bills with the exception of the health sector… – John Jinapor (Minister of Energy & Green Transition)#GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/Ch4Yx1pZmz
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) May 15, 2025
