Minister of Finance Seth Terkper has assured that government will follow through its plans of allowing private participation in some aspect of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).<\/p>\n
According to him the decision is a well thought through one by government and he contends that it will inure to the benefit of the nation.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”0PIP8QwPwLWeJOhCmjxnTBImG2aMVgoB”]Workers of ECG had earlier kicked against moves by government to privatize the company and had vowed to resist it.<\/p>\n
But speaking to journalists after a meeting with ECG workers on Wednesday, Seth Terkpe said government will do what is best for the country.<\/p>\n
He explained that the move is to ensure that ECG and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) are in \u201cstrong position[s].\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it is also about positioning, it\u2019s not just about current issues. Discussions have been quite fruitful up to this point,\u201d Seth Terkper added.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll protect ECG workers<\/strong><\/p>\n Following complaints of threat on the lives of ECG workers, the Finance Minister who oversees the Power Ministry said government is putting in place measures to protect the company\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we want to take the opportunity to say that any molestation that will occur such, incidents should be reported to the security agencies,\u201d he urge the workers.<\/p>\n Government’s hands are tied<\/strong><\/p>\n The Minority Spokesperson on Finance in Parliament, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, had earlier suggested that government may no longer have a say in the affairs of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).<\/p>\n According to him, government\u2019s seeming rush to privatize the company under a 25 year concessionary agreement is to fulfill the conditions under the Ghana Power Compact II of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).<\/p>\n Per the Compact II of the MCA\u00a0signed by the government in August 2014, the ECG is set to be released to a private company for about 25 years.<\/p>\n Speaking to Citi News, the MP for Old Tafo in the Ashanti Region explained that \u201cit is a condition precedent so even if government didn\u2019t like it, to be able to receive the MCA money, they have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere has been a history of ECG being under concession and that history has not gone well so I don\u2019t know what new evidence has come up to suggest that this new concession will be better than what existed before.\u201d<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin A. Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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