The privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is essential for improving efficiency and modernizing Ghana’s energy sector, according to former Member of Parliament for Bongo, Edward Bawa.
In an interview on The Point of View on Channel One TV, Bawa emphasized that the decision to privatize ECG is aimed at reducing inefficiencies and replacing outdated infrastructure.
“We felt that we needed to reduce inefficiency within ECG. How could we do that? We need to be able to replace most of the obsolete equipment. Now, the government doesn’t readily have that because there are other competing needs, like hospitals and what have you,” he said.
Bawa explained that involving the private sector would enable the government to leverage capital and expertise to make ECG more efficient.
“And so the government felt that it was possible to leverage the private sector capital to see how we could replace obsolete equipment and other things within ECG to make it efficient. We could leverage private sector expertise in trying to ensure that we run the company very well.”
He noted that President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to privatizing power distribution is a continuation of his efforts to make ECG more efficient.
“What H.E. John Dramani Mahama is doing now is just a continuation of what he believes in. That look, we needed to make ECG very efficient. Based on the competing needs, we need to take advantage of the private sector and see how we can leverage both capital and expertise.”
Energy Minister-designate John Jinapor had earlier reaffirmed President Mahama’s commitment to privatizing power distribution during his vetting on January 13.
Jinapor emphasized that this move aims to address longstanding challenges in the energy sector and elevate service delivery standards.