The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has declared that it will step up efforts to recover the GHS5.7 billion in debt that is owing to it.
Samuel Dubik Mahama, the managing director of the company, announced that a task team had been formed to collect the unpaid debts and would make monthly visits to the debtors to guarantee fast payment.
The task group has visited a number of organizations as part of the debt recovery effort, including Parliament, the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. While some organizations, like Parliament, have agreed to pay a portion of their debt, other organizations have requested additional time to pay.
The ECG has implemented a digitalized system to track the funds obtained from the debt recovery effort, which Mr. Mahama claimed had been producing between 40 and 50 million Cedis every day since it started.
However, Benjamin Baoakye, the Executive Director of the Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), has urged the ECG to establish a balance between debt repayment and encouraging electricity use.
He clarified that in order for the business to be profitable, consumers must buy and use power.
In the meantime, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, a former minister of power and member of parliament for Pru East, accused the ECG of caving in to pressure from other government agencies and contributing to the debt owed by institutions.
In order to maintain the ECG’s activities, which are essential to Ghana’s economic development, Mr. Mahama underscored that the cash raised would be used. In order to maintain a steady supply of electricity, he advised debtors to pay their arrears as soon as possible.
In conclusion, the ECG’s debt collection exercise is a positive step because it will allow the business to continue operating and make investments in the infrastructure required to deliver an effective and dependable supply of electricity.
To avoid deterring customers from consuming electricity, the corporation must strike a balance between debt recovery and encouraging power consumption.
In order to guarantee a constant electricity supply and promote the nation’s economic growth, it is also crucial for governmental organizations and other debtors to pay off their debts as soon as possible.
