Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has advocated for privatization of the energy sector to stop power crisis.
He said the private sector should be given the mandate to run industries such as the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in order to collect all the taxes and get qualified people to provide adequate electricity in the country.
Adding that if the private sector manages the energy and other industries in the country, they can attract more investment in the country which will eventually create more jobs to enhance national development.
“VRA and all these are all government establishments, let’s give to a private sector and then we get money there, GRIDCo and others are all for the private sector. Let’s give them the money, get qualified people and let them do it. Electricity company is in a situation we don’t know about but that also must be given to the private sector, why are we still holdig it when we don’t have the money? We are not even able to collect all the taxes that we want. We are going to the IMF for money and all those things, we are hanging out in industries we can not maintain and run” The Monarch of Ashante Kingdom said this when Genser energy commissioned a power plant in Anwomaso in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
“Government should look at policies, being involved in industries and everythings it doesn’t work and it is about time Ghana realizing that is not going to work for government to involve in setting up companies and all these things, it doesn’t work. Government should be contained with policies and then the private sector should be involved in setting up industries and everything, it works that way and therefore it will attract more investments to come to the country and that will create employment” He added.
He stressed that it is about time Ghana decides on what the government should be doing and what the private sector should be doing to enhance development.
“Is about time we face realities and decide on what the government should be doing and what the private sector should be doing. This is a testimony of the private sector so that is how we have to be looking at it to attract more of these investments to the private sector so we can do it” Ashantehene said.
For his part, the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh the project has many benefits but it will be manifested in the coming days.
He expressed gratitude to parties that helped them to make the project become realistic.
“This project has happened because of private capital, because of hard working people, I only facilitated and make sure that people fall in line but the person who spiritually, physically, morally, has made me what I am also decided to back the project, that is His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu. So if today we are here, we should thank the good people who are working in Genser, all the good people who are working in the Ministry of Energy, all the advisors and everybody who made sure that today we have such a project. The benefits of this project are not seen today but tomorrow” Napo said.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
