Coronavirus: Electricity reliefs to cost govt GH¢1bn – Amewu

Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu, has disclosed government will provide about GH¢1 billion in electricity reliefs covering about 4.8 million metres across Ghana.

This follows an electricity relief package announced by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on April 9, 2020 to cushion Ghanaians amid the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the minister, the reliefs for Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) customers sum up to GH¢244 million per month and GH¢732m for all three months starting from April, May and June.

“Overall government is providing an accumulative relief of an amount equivalent to GH¢1 billion approximately covering a population of about 4.8 million metres across Ghana for the three months period commencing from April, May and June.”

Meanwhile, under the package announced by the President, customers who consume more than 50 kilowatts per hour will have 50 percent of their bills absorbed by the government within the same period using their March 2020 electricity consumption as the benchmark.

Currently, about 86% of Ghanaians have access to the national grid and will benefit from the electricity reliefs granted government in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.