The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, has issued a stern warning to the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over what he described as “unacceptable” financial decisions by the previous leadership of the company.

Speaking during an engagement with ECG management and staff in Accra, the Minister revealed that the previous management awarded contracts worth about GH¢9 billion, despite the board only approving GH¢3 billion.

He expressed frustration at the financial burden created by these decisions, which have left several containers of equipment stranded at the ports due to a lack of funds to clear them.

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“You are given a threshold at the board of 3 billion. And you end up spending about 9 billion. And it’s not as if you spend 9 billion. You’ve given contracts so much so that the containers when they get to the port, you don’t even have money to clear the containers,” John Jinapor said.

He explained that the situation has led to multiple financial challenges for the power distributor, including high carrying costs, unpaid bills, and demurrage charges.

“One, you are incurring a carrying cost of 9 billion. Two, you are not using the items because they are stuck at the ports. Three, you are paying demurrage for the containers stuck at the port,” he added.

The Minister acknowledged the support of several institutions, including the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, the National Security Secretariat, and the Office of the Chief of Staff, in efforts to clear the stranded containers.

“It’s been a very, very difficult task. But like I said, we should never go that path again,” he cautioned.