Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, has commended the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for prioritising critical infrastructure investments despite operating under significantly reduced financial resources.
Mr Jinapor disclosed that although GH¢9 billion was allocated in ECG’s budget in 2024, the company was currently operating with an estimated budget of GH¢1.8 billion this year.
He gave the commendation during a working visit to ECG’s Lashibi substations to inspect ongoing grid improvement works.
The Minister noted that while the reduction in funding appeared substantial, the effectiveness of operations depended largely on how available resources were deployed.
He explained that the current management had redirected spending towards essential components of the distribution network, including transformers, conductors, key equipment and metres, describing these investments as critical to improving voltage stability, reducing outages and enhancing overall system efficiency.
Mr Jinapor said ECG’s budget proposals were first scrutinised by the sector ministry before being forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for further assessment and commitment authorisation.
He expressed satisfaction that despite the constrained financial environment, priority was being given to infrastructure investments that would directly impact service delivery.
According to him, the targeted investment approach was already contributing to efforts to stabilise the national grid, citing the replacement of ageing infrastructure as a key intervention.
He mentioned the Lashibi substation transformer, which had been in operation for 22 years, as an example of equipment that had exceeded its optimal performance period.
The Minister described the ongoing upgrades as part of a broader national exercise to modernise the electricity distribution network, noting that the programme was being implemented across major urban centres, including Accra and Kumasi, as well as other regions.
He said the programme extended beyond ECG’s operational areas to include zones managed by the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
Mr Jinapor observed that despite improvements in electricity generation capacity, distribution challenges persisted in some areas due to ageing and overloaded transformers, stressing the need for continuous injection of new equipment to meet growing demand and ensure reliable power supply.
He described the intervention as a coordinated national effort to address these constraints and improve the resilience of the power distribution network, commending ECG management for their performance under limited funding conditions.
The Minister thanked the President and the Ministry of Finance for their support and tasked the Managing Director of ECG to introduce clear performance indicators for district and regional managers to enhance service delivery.
Although he noted that power interruptions could not be entirely eliminated due to unforeseen incidents such as vehicular accidents involving utility poles, he stressed the need for significantly improved response times.
Mr Jinapor said timely restoration of power was critical to maintaining public confidence in the electricity sector, adding that prudent spending, targeted infrastructure investment and strengthened operational oversight were key to improving electricity distribution and ensuring a stable power supply nationwide.
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