Power sector challenges extend beyond current government - Kwame Jantuah

Ghanaian

Kwame Jantuah, the Chief Executive Officer of African Energy Consortium Limited, has acknowledged the myriad challenges confronting Ghana's power sector, including financial constraints, debts, equipment inefficiencies, maintenance issues, fuel purchases, personal interests, and political interference.

During JoyNews’ National Dialogue on the Power Sector, Mr. Jantuah emphasized that these challenges should not be solely attributed to the current government but should

Read full articlebe understood within the broader context of the Fourth Republic.

He highlighted the recurring problem of power disruptions due to accumulated debts in the sector, cautioning against placing blame solely on one administration.

He stressed, “It will be unfair to situate it in one term because you’ve gone a full cycle and come back to the same thing.”

Mr. Jantuah called for efficient planning to enhance the performance of Volta River Authority’s plants and pointed out issues with the Cash Waterfall Mechanism (CWM) that need urgent attention.

Expressing concern about personal interests influencing decision-making, particularly in fuel purchases, he emphasized the need for proper leadership to ensure efficiency in the sector. He advocated for an audit of all power sector institutions to evaluate their performance.

Furthermore, Mr. Jantuah lamented the politicization of power sector issues, urging for a more objective approach to problem-solving. He criticized the tendency to blame past governments, stating, “That is the politics that come in there because they have unfortunately bastardized another government for going down the same line so it looks like if we say it, we’re going down the same line.”