Avoid wasting electricity – Power Minister

The Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor says Ghanaians must avoid wastage in the use of electricity to ensure the sustenance of the power industry.

The Minister said he is not happy with the high energy wastage in some institutions, adding that if that could be avoided, it could reduce the high cost of tariffs.

The Minister was at the Ministry’s third consultative stakeholders meeting on the Local Content Policy and participation in the power sector, to collate views from stakeholders.

Addressing entrepreneurs and business entities in the Western Region at Takoradi, he said the time has come when power would no longer be cheap, as about 80 percent of the materials needed to operate power in the country are imported.

Dr Donkor entreated Ghanaians to cultivate the high sense of nationalism just as Latin America and other countries do and conserve power since it enhances the growth of the economy.

He said there is the need for the abundant resources of the nation to be tapped for development and help reduce the continued importation of materials that could be produced here.

The Minister said the over dependence on the Akosombo dam has led to the establishment of the supplementary thermal plants but this is not sufficient hence the need to pay meaningful tariffs in order to sustain the business.

On local content, the Power Minister said, much as foreign investors are welcomed in the business, the law stresses on the respect of the local content policy by employing and giving Ghanaians the opportunity to operate.

“We are attracting foreign investors to grow the economy but they must partner local efforts in its operation and services”, he said.

He said the sector is the driving force of the local content and it could ensure that the nation becomes the power hub for the sub-region.

“We want to see industries which will produce batteries and others using local content”, he said.

For the Power Entities to operate efficiently, he said, government was planning to offset their debt in order to improve upon their services”.

The participants included representatives from various institutions, small and medium scale enterprises and entrepreneurs who suggested that all street lights must use solar to reduce cost.

Source: GNA