The Ministry of Energy has requested Parliament to suspend the controversial Ghana Energy Regulatory Authority Bill, which seeks to merge the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
The proposed merger aims to create an independent Thermal Power Authority by consolidating the thermal plants of the Volta River Authority (VRA).
This request was detailed in a press statement issued by the Minister of State at the Energy Ministry Herbert Krapah.
The statement urged Parliament to pause further discussions on the bill, saying; “The Ministry respectfully requests Parliament to suspend consideration of the aforementioned Bill to enable us to hold further consultative.”
Already, staff groups within the VRA have expressed opposition to a draft provision of the bill that proposes merging the VRA with the Bui Power Authority.
The bill also seeks to consolidate ECG with NEDCo, while creating an independent Thermal Power Authority from VRA’s thermal assets.
The rest of the bills being pushed by the Energy Ministry include the Ghana Thermal Authority Bill, Ghana Hydro Authority Bill, Ghana Power Distribution Authority Bill, Ghana Nuclear Power Corporation Bill, and Ghana Energy Regulatory Authority Bill.
VRA workers argued that these changes are not in the best interest of Ghanaians and could negatively affect both the VRA and the country’s energy sector.
