Business News of Thursday, 17 March 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-03-17GACL, Accra Sports Stadium, others hot as ECG chases 'giant' power debtors
ECG official works on an electric pole | File photo
ECG goes after power debtors
GACL, Accra Sports Stadium have power disconnected
ECG National Task Force on revenue mobilization operation
Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas was the last person to expose power indebtedness on a scale never seen before in Ghana's history.
In 2012, he released a three-part investigation dubbed 'The President's Assignment - Stealing The
Read full articlePeople's Power,' which basically audited the Electricity Company of Ghana from the perspective of rot across its operations.
One area that caught public attention was the list of indebted companies - public and private.
From different arms of government through to major industries and major state outfits, the state of power indebtedness was widely condemned even as citizens charged the ECG to go after its monies.
A decade later, the ECG is itself on a mission to recoup as much of its debts as possible and it is going after the ‘big boys.’
What started with the disconnection of parts of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) is gradually extending. The ongoing exercise is being carried out by the ECG’s national task force.
Below are the indebted entities in hot waters so far:
ECG earlier this week cut the power supply to Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The operation of Monday, 14 March 2022 was because Ghana's main international airport was alleged to be owing to a total of about GHC49 million to the power distributor.
On the same day, the Accra Sports Stadium and La Palm Beach Hotel were also disconnected from the national grid over-indebtedness to the tune of GH¢508,087.37 and GH¢192,073.62 respectively.
A Joy FM report has indicated that ECG has issued a looming disconnection notice to the Finance Ministry and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The two agencies risk being plunged into 'powerlessness' if they do not settle the indebtedness to ECG, a cumulative sum in the region of GH¢421,038.02.
All out operation and caution to other defaulters
The task force leader, Steven Larbi Siaw, in an interview with Joy FM, stressed that the revenue mobilization drive will not spare any institution.
“So, as you already know, we’ve been tasked. We’ve been around to make sure that the indebtedness of the ECG is brought down. So as we’ve been tasked to go ahead, we’re doing just that.
“By either taking the debt that they’re indebted to us, or we make sure that we disengage the supply, for them to follow up to the office to talk to our leaders,” he said.
He also sent caution to other state and private entities that are in the line of being disconnected.
“We have Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Communication Data, UN Development Programme and EOCO and Internal Audit,” the Leader identified.
