Gov't Committed to Energy Sector- Kofi-Buah

***Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister designate for Energy and

Petroleum has reiterated that he will partner with the various stakeholders

of the sector to enhance quality service to the citizenry in terms of

providing utilities, adding that he was committed to solving problems.*

According to him his office will also ensure that Ghana becomes the hub of

business attraction with regards to the energy sector since he was

comfortable in working with the various government agencies under the

energy sector.

Answering questions which were directed to him by some members of the

Vetting and Appointment Committee last Thursday in Accra, he maintained

that President Mahama was aggressive in his policy of energy for all by the

year 2016 for a 100 per cent accessibility of electricity in every part of

the country.

He said there was a backlog of energy to be connected and that the

Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) still required about 500,000 meters,

especially the use of smart meters, to curb consumers from tempering with

them.

Mr Kofi-Buah was also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ellembele

Constituency in the Western Region added that if the energy for all

programmes was feasible, when given the nod; the ministry would work with

the private sector to ensure that this objective was achieved.

Mr Armah said the ECG had come out with a Charter to address challenges the

company faced and pledged he would work with the ECG to address customer

satisfaction related problems adding that a lot of tracking of power

outages must be carried out to know the problem areas.

He said 300 million dollars was devoted for the rural electrification

project as energy supply was low, especially in most communities in the

northern part of the country.

He said there was an ongoing reform of the ECG with a plan to split the

company into four business units which are Volta and Eastern Region,

Ashanti Region, Central and Western Region and Northern Region and that the

process needed to be sped up.

Mr Buah said he would work with the private sector to mobilise the

necessary energy resources, be it renewable, to enable the government to

meet its target by 2016.

He noted that attention must be placed on gas and that a gas task force,

set up by late President Mills, had made a lot of progress but the Ministry

of Finance and Economic Planning must be supportive in that drive.

Mr Buah also noted that a policy on de-regulation was still effective but

had to be discussed adding that government would look at the situation and

use subsidy money for development purposes.

Touching on the issue of local content in the area of oil discovery, he

assured that measures had already been put in place to have Ghanaians

employed and acquire the requisite skills as real jobs were going to come

from jobs associated with the oil industry.

He said the top priority was how to manage the oil revenue to benefit all

including future generations.

Mr Buah said he would ensure that the ministry sets up a Small and Medium

Entrepreneurs Centre to help businesses to be creative and be competitive

in the industry.

Other nominees vetted include Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, Minister designate for

Government Business in Parliament, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister designate

for Trade and Industry, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah Oppong, Attorney General

and Minister of Justice designate, and Ms Dzifa Ativor, Minister of

Transport designate.**