Consumers Pay For Non-existent Street Lights

The Ministry of Energy is seeking questions on who is responsible for the nation's streetlights and where the money accrued from levy's paid by electricity consumers are kept. Mr Kwabena Hammond, Deputy Minister of Energy, told Parliament on Thursday that there were a lot of unanswered questions on the issue especially in Accra where "we pay for streetlights but there is darkness all over the place in the night"

He said the Ministry has no general policy on streetlights but would come out with one when all questions have been answered. Dr Major Mustapha Ahmed (rtd), NDC-Ayawaso East, had queried the Energy Ministry for looking on while customers pay for non-existent streetlights.

Mr Hammond answered questions including the changing of the one phase power supply to Kintampo to three phases. "The essential loads in Kintampo require three-phase supply, e.g. the waterworks and the hospital." He said plans for changing the entire supply to three-phase had been drawn up, and funds would be sought later for the upgrading.

Dr Kwame Ampofo, NDC-South Dayi, advised the Ministry to procure single-phase motors to match existing single phase power systems since the massive change to three phase country wide would involve unnecessary expenditure.