Energy Minister-designate promises 100% power distribution

Government will aggressively pursue its energy programme to achieve a 100 per cent accessibility of electricity in every part of the country by 2016, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister-designate for Energy and Petroleum has said.

He said the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) still required about 500,000 meters, placing emphasis on the use of smart meters to curb consumers from tempering with the meters.

Mr Buah noted that the energy for all programme was feasible and that the Ministry would work with the private sector to ensure that was achieved.

Mr Buah was speaking when he appeared before the Appointments Committee of Parliament for his vetting on Thursday.

He noted that ECG had a number of challenges and pledged that when given the nod he would work with the company to address them including customer satisfactory related problems.

He said 300 million dollars had been voted for the rural electrification project and noted that as part of planned reforms, ECG would have four business units – Volta and Eastern regions, Ashanti Region, Central and Western regions and Northern regions.

He said attention must be placed on gas, adding that a gas task force set up by former President Mills had made a lot of progress.

On the issue of local content in the area of oil discovery, the Minister designate noted that measures had been put in place to have Ghanaians to be employed and acquire the requisite skills.

He said a top priority was how to manage the oil revenue to benefit all including future generations.