Abena Osei-Asare links ‘dumsor’ to illegal connections, calls on Ghanaians to change attitudes

Abena Osei-Asare, the minister of state-designate for the Finance Ministry, has raised significant concerns regarding issues plaguing Ghana’s energy sector.

During her vetting by the Parliament’s Appointments Committee on March 13, 2024, Osei-Asare addressed the root causes behind the intermittent power supply, commonly referred to as ‘Dumsor’, highlighting human activities such as illegal meter connections as contributing factors.

Acknowledging these challenges, she emphasized the importance of collective responsibility, urging Ghanaians to refrain from engaging in such unlawful activities.

Additionally, Osei-Asare advised electricity consumers to fulfil their financial obligations promptly, stressing the detrimental impact of unpaid bills on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

“Yes, it is a big issue in the energy space, but we also have to do our part, ECG loses about 30% of the investment of the power they produce. How does this come about? The illegal structures, illegal meters and everything, they are human beings who do these things.

“In as much as government is doing its part, we as citizens will also have to change our attitudes towards these things and that is the only way together, we can succeed and address these issues.

“Whenever your payments for electricity are due you have to go ahead and pay. As citizens who love our country and want institutions to succeed, we also have to do our part to help our nation,” she said.

Expressing optimism about potential improvements, Osei-Asare highlighted the forthcoming implementation of an energy sector reform plan.

She underscored the collaborative efforts involving stakeholders and technical support from entities like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in crafting this plan.