Economist and academic, Professor Patrick Asuming, is urging the government to adopt a long-term, sustainable strategy to address the persistent challenges facing Ghana’s energy sector.
He cautioned that short-term fixes will not solve the deep-rooted problems, and called for a comprehensive, credible plan that outlines clear timelines and actions to ensure long-term stability.
His remarks come amid growing concerns over the sector’s rising debt, which continues to strain the national economy. The financial pressure has already caused operational difficulties for power distributors, sparking fears of potential disruptions in energy supply.
Energy and Green Transition Minister, John Jinapor, recently acknowledged the sector’s financial distress and announced plans to build a second gas processing plant to ease the crisis. The government believes expanding local gas processing capacity will reduce reliance on imports and help ease the financial burden.
However, Prof. Asuming insists that beyond infrastructure projects, what’s urgently needed is a structured roadmap that restores investor and public confidence in the sector.
“We now understand the scope of the problems,” he said in an interview. “What’s missing is a credible long-term strategy with well-defined timelines. If properly implemented, such a plan can address the energy sector’s challenges once and for all.”
He also stressed the importance of improved governance at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), arguing that stronger leadership and better operational management are critical to achieving financial sustainability and delivering reliable power to consumers.
