Parliament Okays Energy Ministry’s Plans for 2020

Parliament’s Committee on Mines and Energy has okays the budget estimates of the Ministry of Energy for the year 2020 and is of the opinion that the policies and programmes outlined for the year would go a long way to support the achievements of the sector goals of providing secure, safe, reliable, energy to promote and develop the various regions in Ghana.

Officials of the ministry informed the committee that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is fully in charge of the operations of the company following the termination of the contract with the Power Distribution Service (PDS) Ghana by the government. The sector Minister, John Peter Amewu told the Committee that steps have been taken to ensure that the interest of the citizens are protected and that the government is still exploring options to bring about efficiency in the distribution sector.

In the Committee’s report on the 2020 Annual Budget Estimates of the Ministry, it was observed that successive financial years have witnessed dwindling levels in the disbursement partners’ budgetary component and so recommended to the ministry to re-examine its approach to accessing those facilities in order to reduce the bottlenecks and achieve benefits from funds from development partners.

The committee noted that the delay in payment of the regulatory levies undermines the operations of the energy commission and efforts to wean the commission from government subventions. They also urged the ministry to put in place incentives and strategies to encourage the utilities to pay their levies to the commission.

Parliament has since adopted the Committee’s report and approved an amount of GH 585,766,327 to enable the Ministry of energy to function effectively in the 2020 fiscal year.

Source: Jerrina Dzifa Fiagbedzi || Inern at Ghananewsonline.com.gh.