ECG, GRIDCo were making profits before 2017 – Alhaji Sorogo

The Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina, Alhaji Amadu Sorogho has disclosed that the major players in the power sector, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) were making profits before the exit of the John Mahama administration.

Speaking on Ghana Kasa on Kasapa FM, the former MP stated that the current power crisis has to do with finance and called on the government to as a matter of urgency invest in the power sector.

“Before NDC was handing over power in 2016, ECG made a profit of GH¢500 million, and GRIDCo made a profit of about GH¢14 million. In 2018 GRIDCo made a loss of GH¢600 million and ECG also made a loss of GH¢4 billion. As I talk to you, we are demanding that these entities publish their financial stand but they are unable to do so,” the former MP stated.

He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government before leaving office left GH¢230 million in the Energy Sector Levy.

Alhaji Sorogho pointed out that the challenges at the time informed the previous government to introduce the Energy Sector Levy.

He, however, stated that though the power sector challenges began some years ago under successive governments the current challenge is as a result of mismanagement and the refusal of the government to invest in the power sector.

“The challenges at the power sector started very long ago, I will not sit here and say the power sector challenges started yesterday. I will not say that the challenges started during the era of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), No! It started from the era of former Presidents Rawlings, Kuffour, Prof Mills to JDM and happened under the first term of President Akufo Addo and persisting in his second term,” he stated.

But Alhaji Sorogho intimated that the Mills-Mahama administration invested hugely in the power sector in order to curb the power crisis they inherited.

He further noted late Prof Mills went to China to borrow 3billion dollars for the construction of the Eastern Corridor Road and to invest some in the Gas production to power the Thermal Plants for Electricity generation.

“Out of the three billion, we had only one billion dollars, so eight hundred million was invested in the Atuabo Gas. Today, if we had not gotten Atuabo Gas what will the nation do at this time.

“Besides all these, former President Mahama said he will not manage the dumsor prevailing at his time rather he wants to fix it. That brought in Ameri, Karl-Power among other Energy Private Partnership that was brought on board. So you see, this is strategic thinking,” Alhaji Sorogo stated.