By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, Jan.14, GNA – Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, the Energy Minister-designate, has hinted at the Government’s intentions to merge the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Bui Power Authority, to streamline their operations and ensure efficiency in the power sector.
Answering questions when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament in Accra on Monday, Mr Jinapor said, upon his approval, he would engage the Management of the two power institutions to further discuss the matter so that the decision did not disrupt power supply in the country.
The Energy Minister nominee expressed concerns about the waste in the power sector, resulting in power losses, noting that about three million metres belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) were dysfunctional and called for immediate measures to replace them.
“This malfunctioning metres represent a significant obstacle to effective revenue collection for the utility company,” Mr Jinapor noted.
Mr Jinapor said the ECG needed to replace approximately 2.9 million metres as part of efforts to improve revenue generation.
He explained that out of about 5.2 million metres in the system about three million of them were not working well, thus contributing to revenue shortfalls for the company.
He underscored the need for the ECG to phase out postpaid metres and introduce smart metering technology.
Mr Jinapor proposed solutions towards enhancing the Company’s revenue drive, including making metres available for direct purchase by consumers, with installation to be handled by licensed technicians.
He made reference to the mobile money integration, which the ECG had already implemented, allowing customers to activate their metres through a code-based system.
“Sometimes, it costs people more than four or five times to get the metre, so if we make it readily available and use economies of scale it will greatly help,” he stated.
Responding to the energy sector debt, Mr Jinapor stated that the energy debt had escalated to three billion dollars as of January 12, 2025, from $2.1 billion in August 2017.
The debt, he said, had accumulated because of unresolved payments to the Independent Power Producers and other unfulfilled payment commitments in its operations.
The Energy Minister- designate said there was low investment in the energy sector and hinted at plans to lead a delegation to the United Arab Emirate, Dubai, towards efforts in attracting investments into the sector.
Asked about the legacy he would like to leave as a Minster upon approval, Mr Jinapor said: “I want to be remembered as a young energy minister who is disciplined, hard working, humble and committed to revamping the energy sector”.
GNA