Mahama Administration Planning to Privatise ECG
The government of President John Dramani Mahama has relayed plans to privatise the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) amid concerns of inefficiencies and losses.
The Minister-designate for Energy, John Jinapor says he was planning to contract a private entity to undertake the billing and collection of bills.
According to him, an engagement with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on how to effectively engage the private sector for this is in the offing.
“We don’t even want to wait until I am sworn in. We want to, as a technical team, work with some consultants with the World Bank and IMF to transparently determine the framework for how we are going to engage in the private sector,” he said in an interview on Eyewitness News.
According to him, privatising the sector is the only sure bet to sustain it for smooth running.
“Especially with the billing and collection. It is either we set good KPIs or go through a competitive tender process and get the best so that we can improve the systems at ECG. The truth is that we have no alternative but to involve the private sector. Where we have gotten to, it is the only option available.”
The calls to privatise such state enterprises have been sounded by many. The Asantehene, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Genser Energy Ghana Limited Kumasi Pipeline PPO2 at Anwomaso in the Ashanti Region in April 2024 added his voice to the calls.
His Majesty said it was a suitable means of sustaining and making them profitable.
He posits that businesses under the control of the government are the exact opposite of their intended purposes.
According to His Majesty, reviews must be conducted to mandate the government with the responsibility of only monitoring and regulating businesses in the country as its involvement in the establishment and management of businesses is counterproductive.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
