Privatization of Electricity Delivery in Ghana

From: Kwaku A. Danso [mailto:dansojfk@gmail.com]

Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 10:17 AM

To: Abeeku Brew-Hammond (Prof); Tony Aidoo (Dr.); Mustapha Ahmed (Hon.Dr); Sherry Ayittey (Hon)

Cc: 'glu-ghana-leadership-forum@googlegroups.com'

Subject: Electricity Privatization in Ghana

Let me change the re-title and take this opportunity to address this to the Chairman of the Energy Commission, Dr. Abeeku Brew-Hammond and copy Dr. Tony Aidoo (Presidential Adviser), Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, Deputy Housing Minister and Hon. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology.

Electricity and water issues are directly related to Housing and Hon. Mustapha should be interested.

Dr. Tony Aidoo is Adviser to the President and a very vocal person, and he should be concerned about this also.

Electricity affects any Scientific Research and any dialogue on Technology, and hence Hon. Sherry Ayittey should be interested.

Doc Abeeku,

I hope you have gotten over the pain of being stood-up and not being picked up at the airport by Ben Dedjoe in New York and hence condemning the whole Ghanaian population in the Diaspora.

Can you tell us government policy on this and why electricity distribution should not be privatized in Ghana and ECG has or should have a monopoly when in fact they are bleeding money so much and cannot as much as collect their own debt due to them, as reported recently by Anas.

Can you all Honorable men and woman let us hear you views on this issue. Every single day is a suffering for some of us who invested so heavily most of our life and career savings in Ghana and are unable to get reliable delivery of electricity and water.

Folks, our nation is simply on the edge. The taxpayer under ECG can guarantee electricity for only the major industries and some of them are not even paying the monthly bills, or shall we say the ECG has no muscle to collect or cut them off! And we the ordinary people have to suffer for this?

I just got off the phone with somebody in Ghana over a long debate convincing me to purchase a small generator for at least two of the four Flats for rent and some additional split AC units to the central units air conditioners we have. In most Western nations such as the US, as much as glorify the big mega corporations, the facts show that small businesses employ more than the major corporations. Except for the major corporations, most investment in Ghana simply cannot make sense if one has to use 50% of annual revenue to find alternate source of a standby electricity when government has charged us a minimum 45% and all imported and shipped materials to build the property and even customers are prepared to pay electricity bills and even any requested money to purchase transformers to stabilize the current and voltage. This issue has been going in since the 2004 time when VRA and hence ECG and GRIDCO complained about water level at the dam. Today that is not the excuse anymore. It is totally unacceptable for the poor delivery of electricity! The government must do something about this and do it now!!

We are asking for legislation to allow private industry participation in the distribution of electricity in Ghana and will appreciate your comments, Dr. Abeeku, Dr. Tony Aidoo, Hon. Sherry Ayittey, and Hon. Dr. Ahmed.

Thank you.

Kwaku A. Danso, M. Eng, PhD (Email: k.danso@comcast.net)