Prime News Ghana

Mahama asks gov't to adequately fund ECG, GWCL to enable them deliver without interruption

By Mutala Yakubu
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Former President John Mahama has asked the government to adequately resource the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to enable them deliver on the free interventions announced by President Akufo-Addo.

There have been some complaints from a section of Ghanaians regarding unstable power and lack of water but Mahama believes that the government needs to fully fund these companies to ensure a consistent supply of water and electricity in this lockdown period.

"Considering the new cases being discovered, it is clear that we are entering a new phase where there is the beginning of a horizontal spread of the disease. This requires us to redouble our efforts in the battle against the pandemic. In other for us the people of Ghana to realize the needed benefit from the subsidies on electricity tariffs and water announced, I ask the President to assure and fund ECG and the power producers to enable them to discharge their duties without interruption," he spoke at a brief ceremony to hand over food items to 20,000 households.

The President in his recent address announced that government will absorb the water bills of Ghanaians for the next 3 months.

It was also announced that government will fully absorb the electricity bills for all lifeline consumers.

READ ALSO: Some accolades for Mahama, too!

This, he explained, covered persons who consumed 0-50 Kilowatts hours per month for this period.

Additionally, the President announced, the government would pay 50 percent of the electricity bill for residential and commercial consumers, for the period, using the March 2020 bill as the benchmark.

“For example if your electricity bill is GHC100, you will pay only GHC50, with Government absorbing the remaining GHC50,” he explained.

This is being done to support industry, enterprises and the service sector ‘in these difficult times and to provide some relief for households for loss of income’

Ghana as at April 14, 2020 had recorded 636 cases with 8 deaths so far.