GOVERNMENT HAS directed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to look for the ?240 billion (Two hundred and forty billion cedis) required to light up the streets of all the regional capitals in the country.
Deputy Energy minister, K.T. Hammond explains that the ECG should use levies already being charged consumers for the project. The ministry is in the meantime looking around the world, from financial institutions and agencies, for that kind of money, since as can be expected, the ECG does not have it immediately available. What is immediately available would be used to begin refurbishment of those streetlights not functioning effectively.
The project itself is divided into two phases for implementation. The one for Accra which would cost ?5 billion had already been contracted out to All Afra and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
This contract was originally awarded by the former NDC government. It was, however, discontinued soon afterwards, because of disagreements over money. The NPP government, desirous of continuing the project with All Afra, has directed the ECG to find the money to enable All Afra to complete the project. The second phase, nationwide, would also give due consideration to local businesses. However, deputy Energy minister, Hammond notes that any foreign company bringing in money to do the job would be considered if the terms of repayment are acceptable and comfortable. The immediate concern now is to look for the money.
One main concern expressed by the deputy minister in this regard was to ensure that, when completed, the streetlights would not be abandoned or forgotten. According to Mr. Hammond, it is not the ECG?s responsibility to do maintenance work on streetlights. Citing the examples in some of the regional capitals such as Kumasi and Cape Coast, he wondered why it could not be determined yet, in Accra, whose responsibility it is for the maintenance of streetlights.
When contacted, however, the customer services director at the ECG, Mr. Vukania, explained what he described as ?a fine line? between roles played by the districts authorities in Greater Accra and the ECG regarding streetlights maintenance. Mr. Vukania stressed the ECG is only responsible for the maintenance of streetlights on ceremonial roads in Accra. This is so because the former NDC government was driven to this arrangement due mainly to the need to avoid the embarrassment that would have become its lot had the ceremonial streets in Accra remained dark during Ghana?s hosting of the Non-Aligned Movement conference in 1995. The then NDC government tasked the ECG to ensure that those streets remained illuminated during the period of the conference. The arrangement has remained so till now, even though the ceremonial streets have once again become dark, due largely to neglect, probably borne out of loss of interest.
For the rest of the streetlights in Accra, the district authorities, depending on the area of jurisdiction, the Ga rural district or the Tema municipality, holds responsibility for its maintenance. The levy charged for streetlights by the ECG is only for the electrical power consumed and not for the building and maintenance of the streetlights structures.
