The Bantamahene, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia VI, cutting the tape to open the ECG warehouse in Kumasi
DEPUTY MINISTER for Energy in charge of Power Mr. William Owuraku Aidoo has allayed the fears of workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in terms of losing their jobs.
He said the emergence of the Power Distribution Services (PDS) in the power distribution sector of the country doesn’t mean that workers of the ECG would lose their jobs; hence they should not panic.
Mr. Aidoo also explained that the PDS is only coming in as a private sector participation, which is geared towards enhancing power distribution and also promoting growth in the country.
“The emergence of the Power Distribution Services (PDS) doesn’t mean that Electricity Company of Ghana staffs will be sacked. That is not the truth so ignore all the wild speculations.
“The emergence of the PDS doesn’t mean the ECG will die. In fact, the ECG will continue to remain as the asset owner therefore no staff of the ECG will be sacked; you will continue to enjoy the same benefits.
“Aside from death or retirement which is a natural phenomenon, nothing will make you lose your jobs so please don’t panic,” Mr. Aidoo stated, adding that the ECG is still relevant in the country.
The occasion was the commissioning and inspection of three critical ECG projects in the Ashanti Region.
They include intensification of electrification, commissioning of ultra modern materials warehouse and the inspection of the AFDB funded projects.
Ing. Samuel Boakye Appiah, Managing Director of ECG, said the Special Grid Intensification Project would ensure that power supply would be extended to areas that have expanded due to population increase, economic activities and new settlements.
He said US$8.2 million has been earmarked for the project, which has been broken down into 210 packages covering 900 communities across the ECG operational areas in the country.
“The Ashanti Region is benefitting from 63 packages, representing 27 per cent of the total package,” the ECG MD said, adding that 233 communities in the Ashanti Region are benefitting from the package.
Ing. Boakye Appiah said the project would result in reducing distribution losses, reducing the frequency and duration of outages, improving the voltage level and increase network capacity.
The Bantamahene, Baffuor Owusu Amankwatia VI, lauded government of implanting several positive policies to enhance the power distribution sector in the country, urging government to sustain its good works.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi