Minority Leader in Parliament and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has added his voice to calls for urgent structural reforms at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
He noted that inefficiencies in the power distributor’s revenue collection continue to threaten the sustainability of the country’s power sector.
In a social media post on Saturday, June 14, Afenyo Markin cited a report he encountered during his time as Board Chairman of ECG which revealed that only about 30 percent of power consumers—both households and industries—actually pay for the electricity they use.
“Many others either lack proper meters or engage in illegal connections. That is the real crisis we must confront,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
The NPP lawmaker stressed that if the country fails to fix these foundational issues now, future governments—regardless of party—will inherit the same problems.
“If we fail to fix the fundamental issues at ECG today, then every future government—regardless of party—will inherit the same crisis. My advocacy was grounded in the conviction that structural problems must be addressed now, for the long-term benefit of the country. The Loss Reduction Programme (LRP) which was introduced by the Akufo-Addo administration must be pursued,” he said.
His remarks came in response to a viral video on social media in which he was heard calling for unity and non-politicisation of efforts to resolve Ghana’s energy sector challenges.
The video sparked claims that he had endorsed the controversial GHS1 levy on every litre of fuel, popularly referred to as the dumsor levy.
However, Afenyo-Markin in his social media post denied the claim, describing it as a “complete misrepresentation” of his statement made on the floor of Parliament on Friday, June 13.
“My attention has been drawn to a misleading video being circulated on social media suggesting that I have endorsed the dumsor levy. This claim is entirely false,” he wrote.
