Christiana Jarto-Kaleo
The Volta Regional Manager of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Christiana Jarto-Kaleo, has revealed that bushfires are causing massive damage to electricity infrastructure, draining resources that could otherwise be used to expand services and connect new communities.
Speaking at the public hearing of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in the Volta Region as part of the 2025–2030 major tariff review process, Madam Jarto-Kaleo, lamented the heavy toll bushfires are taking on the company’s operations.
According to her, fires set by farmers clearing land, hunters, and herdsmen often destroy electricity poles, cables, and transformers.
She stated that replacing a single pole costs about GH₵8,000, excluding transportation, installation, and contractor fees.
“With hundreds of poles destroyed in 2023 and 2024 alone, ECG has spent millions of cedis on replacements.
“The real loss is not just the poles. Communities remain without power for days, businesses suffer, and power produced but unused is wasted. Instead of extending supply to new areas, we are forced to go backwards and replace what we already had,” she said.
She appealed to traditional leaders, farmers, and community members to support efforts to prevent bushfires, stressing that resources should be channeled into improving services rather than repairing repeated damages.
Daniel K Orlando, Ho