Outgoing United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, has raised serious concerns over the financial health of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), calling for immediate and comprehensive reforms to stabilise the utility provider.
In a yet-to-be-aired interview on The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV, Ambassador Palmer described the ECG’s financial state as alarming, citing massive losses throughout the system.
“The ECG is bleeding, exchequer, and it’s bleeding more than we thought. When the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, spoke at the Economic Dialogue, he said $2.2 billion a year, which is essentially at the scale of the IMF programme. There are losses either at the electricity poles or in the counting rooms, and they are enormous,” she said.
Ambassador Palmer welcomed recent steps by President John Dramani Mahama to address the issue, particularly the establishment of a panel to evaluate the ECG and propose necessary reforms.
“I was pleased to see President John Dramani Mahama announce a panel to evaluate ECG and what reforms are necessary, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results.”
She emphasised that these reforms are critical not just for Ghana’s economic stability but also to resolve the persistent power outages known locally as dumsor.
Palmer reiterated the importance of long-term structural changes to ensure the efficiency and financial viability of the ECG, warning that continued losses could jeopardise broader energy sector goals.
I’m committed to backing Ghana’s future MCC eligibility – Ambassador Palmer
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