Inaction is the main cause of challenge in power sector – Ing. Amissah-Arthur

Ing. Harriette Amissah-Arthur is the Co-Founder and Executive Partner of Arthur Energy Africa. She believes Ghana's power sector crisis stems from inaction and poor accountability, not just financial issues.

In an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile, she discussed the energy sector's problems. She said these issues result from a lack of structured action over many years.

Amissah-Arthur stated, "The problems we're facing are a combination of inaction." Her comments followed a warning from Energy Minister John Jinapor about an impending nationwide power crisis.

Jinapor revealed that Ghana has less than three days of liquid fuel left for power plants. He mentioned that the country needs over GH¢1.1 billion to buy fuel and pay off a $1.7 billion debt to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Karpower, a key provider, may stop operations if payments are delayed.

Madam Amissah-Arthur criticized the energy sector's flawed model. She noted it ignores basic business principles like cost recovery and accountability. The current system does not track energy consumption or quantify subsidies for essential services like hospitals and schools.

She called for clear policy decisions to identify these facilities. The costs of subsidizing them should be shared transparently among consumers.

“Every unit of power must be accounted for,” she insisted. Operators should report how much power goes to street lighting, schools, or hospitals, as well as losses due to non-payment or technical issues.

Amissah-Arthur also pointed out inefficiencies in procurement processes. She highlighted that Ghana often pays more than international benchmarks for power capacity purchases. “If we're paying above that, we need clear justifications,” she added.