Story By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
The Head of Research at the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Paul Ofori, has called on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to disconnect government institutions that fail to pay for electricity consumption.
Ofori emphasized that government institutions, such as the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), owe ECG substantial debts, questioning the rationale behind their reluctance to settle these obligations.
The conversation was on the back of the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited (ECG) nationwide debt collection exercise on Monday, 16th June, 2025 which led to the disconnection of electricity supply to about 100 newly built homes at Rehoboth Estate in Kweiman, located in the Greater Accra Region, over illegal power connections.
Ofori pointed out that while the government struggles to secure funds to purchase fuel for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and sustain the energy sector, ECG officials seem reluctant to take decisive action against defaulting government institutions.
“How can you sit in offices while people owe you, and the government is struggling to find money to buy fuel for IPPs to produce electricity and sustain the sector?” he queried.
Ofori argued that disconnecting government institutions that fail to pay for electricity is a necessary step to ensure ECG’s financial sustainability. He believes that if implemented effectively, this measure could yield significant results within three months, enabling ECG to collect debts and manage its resources more efficiently.
“If government institutions that are defaulters of ECG payment are cut off and their systems are adequately implemented, ECG will actualize more cash flows,” he stated.
Ofori further emphasized that such measures would boost public confidence in ECG’s ability to manage its resources effectively. This, in turn, would make it easier to introduce new taxes or tariffs, as citizens would be more willing to pay if they see the efficiency and effectiveness of ECG’s operations.
“If the citizenry sees the effectiveness of ECG in solving inefficiencies through regular checks of such kind, asking the public to pay additional taxes won’t be a problem because of the boost of confidence,” he added.
Ofori however, encouraged ECG to continue its nationwide debt collection exercise, emphasizing the need for decisive action against defaulting government institutions.
