The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) has been directed to halt all activities related to the partial privatization of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) until it receives directive from the president.
The Chief of Staff Mr Julius Debrah gave the directive at a meeting involving MiDA representatives, ECG management members and members of the Electricity Unions.
The Public Utilities Workers and its stakeholders articulated their position on the intended privatization of the ECG.
Since government announced that the power distributor will be privatized, workers of the company have not relented in showing their displeasure about the decision.
Members of the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) have embarked on a series of industrial actions in a bid to move government to reconsider its decision.
They believe solving the massive problems the power distribution company is plagued with does not lie in its privatization.
In an interview with Joy News, Secretary of the ECG Senior Staff Association, Patrick Binyemi who was at the meeting where the directive was given expressed satisfaction at the move.
“Until the president is briefed and a directive comes, MiDA is directed to halt its activities,” he said.
This means a planned meeting by MiDA and the shortlisted companies to be considered as concessionaires must be put on hold until the president intervenes.
The planned Concession of ECG is in line with the Power Sector Reform Programme which was adopted by Ghana in 1994.
Under this Programme, the Volta River Authority (VRA) had to cede part of its statutory responsbilities which led to the formation of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) as an independent transmission network operator within the context of Independent Power Producers.
Additionally, the Electricity Corporation of Ghana, as it was then called, was transformed into the Electricity Company of Ghana so that it would facilitate the introduction of private sector participation in the distribution business.
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