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Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga says Ghana cannot roll out its proposed 24-hour economy until the problems within the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) are fully addressed.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, November 27, Ayariga accused the previous NPP administration of severely mismanaging the energy sector, resulting in financial losses and operational setbacks that continue to affect the country.
He referenced the failure of the Millennium Challenge Account Energy Compact 2, which he said caused Ghana to lose US$190 million. Ayariga also mentioned the controversial PDS arrangement, arguing that the company presented forged documents during the payment guarantee process.
The Bawku Central MP highlighted findings from the ECG container holdup investigation, which uncovered demurrage charges exceeding GH¢909 million due to delays at the port. He further revealed that contracts worth GH¢159 million were cleared improperly, including GH¢127.6 million awarded to a company without the required customs house agent registration.
Ayariga told Parliament that significant differences were found between budgeted procurement costs and the actual amounts paid, stressing that corruption and negligence played a major role in the current challenges at ECG.
According to him, the 24-hour economy can only commence when the ECG is stabilised. He said, “24-hour economy will start when we have cleared the mess at ECG and created a 24-hour energy system.”
