Robert Jackson disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on the Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Bukhari in Bolgatanga.

“We are also working with Northern Electricity Distribution Company(NEDco) on the energy situation, although NEDco has been doing well, we will invest about six million dollars in NEDco over the next few years, to see how that investment will work and how it will impact that region,” he said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”K4Qr60SQ5kfYcJSEXvRglXFfIFsQqnS7″]This package is to enhance the operations of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company(NEDco), to make the provision of electricity more efficient and diversified in Northern Ghana.

The Ambassador also added that, the US government is also supporting the retooling of Ghana’s security agencies in readiness to combat terrorism.

There was a total blackout in the Tamale Metropolis in the latter part of 2017, following an inferno that gutted 11 panels of the VRA/NEDco substation at Choggu Hilltop.

NEDco-VRA at the time also served notice that the company is on the verge of collapse largely due to power theft.

The company’s Corporate Communications Director, Maxwell Kotoka, brought this to the fore at a news conference in Tamale where he disclosed that 45 percent of power theft was recorded in the Tamale area.

Stealing of power has become an established practice in the Northern Region for which reason authorities of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDco), have served notice to install prepaid meters for all its customers.

Records showed that, as of April to June 2014 ending, NEDco lost eight GHC800, 000 as a result of illegal connections and non-payment of electricity bills in the Tamale Metro area alone.

NEDco’s Director of Services, David Adomako-Mensah at a media briefing in Tamale, disclosed that 426 illegal power thieves were arrested for various offences.

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By: Farida Yusif&Fred Awuni/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post US to invest $60m into energy sector appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the lack of strong institutions in the energy sector has contributed to challenges currently being experienced in the sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”wKdqB9ROAbE6WwapEmwnUX7NEkmuurSi”]Speaking to at the National Policy Summit in Accra, the Executive Director of ACEP, Ben Boakye said, it was important for measures to be put in place to enable energy-sector institutions to be independent and firm in their convictions on a government decision on issues relating to the sector.

“What we have seen in the past is institutions that cannot stand up to the minister and say this is wrong and therefore we have to go the technical that they would recommend. Most often when the ministry when someone wants an oil block, regardless of the advice that is granted by the institutions, it is the decision of the ministry that will stand.”

“I think that thinking through how you achieve these laudable policies, we have to see how we can make these institutions real technical entities that will advise the ministry on how to deliver for the good of our country,” he said.

The Petroleum Commission, The Energy Commission and the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission are some of the institutions in the energy sector charged with providing technical advice but according to ACEP, they have failed over the years to influence decisions of the ministry.

He is, therefore, calling on the Ministry to assist in strengthening these institutions and taking into consideration their advice on key government decisions.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ACEP calls for strong institutions in energy sector appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Ministry was allocated GHs884 million to enable it address the country’s worsening power crisis.

Of the total amount allocated, the government was to contribute only GHs84 million, while GHs30 million came from the internally generated funds.

The government was expecting to receive about GHs769 million of the total power ministry budget from development partners.

The infographic below has details of all allocations to the various ministries under the economic sector as captured in the 2016 budget.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post #GhBudget: 40% economic sector budget allocated to Power Ministry in 2016 [Infographic] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Addressing Parliament in his first state of the nation address, the President noted that, the sector has enormous problems that must be addressed urgently.

“We have inherited a heavily indebted energy sector with a net debt reaching $2.4bn as of December 2016. I have to point out the alarming facts that $800 million of this debt is owed to local banks which threaten their stability and that of the whole financial sector. Indeed, the huge indebtedness of the energy sector constitutes the single major hurdle to Ghanaians enjoying reliable and affordable electricity supply,” Akufo-Addo said.

In his address, he noted that the country’s power supply had improved significantly since November 2016, however the sector’s problems “are far from over.”

Akufo-Addo bemoaned the high cost of electricity in the country, which he said greatly affects businesses.

“The current state of the energy situation in our country is unsatisfactory. The problems are enormous; but we must and we will confront them,” he said.

Stating some interventions he will introduce to address the challenges, the President said he will prioritize transparency in the sector by introducing a new tariff policy to reclassify consumer categories.

“We will also reduce significantly some of the levies and taxes on the tariff. At the end of 2016, ECG had signed 43 power purchase agreements, while a further 23 were under discussion. The Government is conducting a review of all the power agreements entered into by the previous government in order to prioritize, renegotiate, defer or cancel outright if necessary in the national interest,” Akufo-Addo said.

He noted that, the government was drawing a national electricity master plan to list the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) on the stock exchange.

‘Enforcement of procurement law’

The president said his government will insist on open and competitive bidding for power capacity procurement agreements.

“…This will not only reduce the cost of power projects and ensure value for money; but also address the problem of unplanned procurement.”

He added that, government will review the Renewable Energy Act to provide further incentives to attract the private sector to invest in the sector.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post We inherited a “heavily indebted energy sector” – Akufo-Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.