A former minister for Power Dr. Kwabena Donkor says government free electricity for lifeline customers is not driven by a genuine intention to cushion the vulnerable from the economic impact of COVID-19.
The Finance minister announced the move as one of the measures aimed at mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on the poor and persons in the low-income bracket.
Dr. Kwabena Donkor however told Sena Nombo on the Gold Power Drive the move will not benefit the intended target.
He said the people who will be hardest hit by the economic impact of COVID-19 are low-income earners in urban and peri-urban areas.
According to Dr. Donkor majority of these people live in compound houses with shared meters where the total consumption shoots way past the lifeline limit of 50 units.
He believes the measure will only benefit middle-income earners and the rich.
The Pru East MP said the best option for government was to reduce or scrap levies on electricity.
He said that will be much more effect than a free measure which will not benefit the intended target.
Dr. Kwabena says the decision exposes the lack of deep thinking within the government.
He said the government’s populism and lazy thinking will only worsen the debt situation in the power sector considering the Electricity Company of Ghana and Northern Electricity Development Corporation are knee deep in debts to Independent Power Producers.
ECG and NEDCo owe IPPs $1.4billion for power supplied to the two distributors.
The former Power Minister said Ghanaians will end up paying a steep price for what is supposed to be “free.”
Story: SAN/Radiogoldlive.com
