Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
The nation has fewer than three days’ supply of liquid fuel to run its power plants, according to Energy Minister John Jinapor, who has issued yet another warning about an impending power crisis.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Committee on Energy on Thursday, May 15, Mr. Jinapor said the Ministry is in a hurry to obtain the billions of cedis required to cover the cost of newly ordered fuel supply.
“How to get the next package of liquid gasoline is giving me a headache. It will take us 2.6 days with the petrol we have,” he informed the MPs.
The Minister revealed that although some fuel has been purchased on credit, the nation’s power generation could be paralysed by a lack of quick finance.
Mr. Jinapor added that although the Ministry of Finance is involved, its resources restrict what can be accomplished.
“We have ordered fuel, but payment is required. Although we are collaborating with the Ministry of Finance to make the payment, the Ministry is actually limited as well. We’re going to the cabinet to talk about ways to make the sector better,” Mr. Jinapor stated.
For a long-term, sustainable solution, the Minister alluded to fresh attempts to have the private sector oversee a portion of the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) operations.
“It doesn’t completely solve the problem, but it takes us to a new level because we will be collecting more if the collections are lowered from 40% to 5%,” he stated.
The Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) have a responsibility to pay electrical bills and include them in their budgets, Mr. Jinapor emphasised.
He went on to say that appropriate budgetary allocation for energy consumption is necessary for even the most important institutions, such as those in the fields of health, education, security, and the president.
