Governance think-tank, IMANI Ghana has expressed worry at what it says is a deviation from the country’s blue print on energy by the Mills administration. The think-tank’s development analyst, Bright Simons says the government’s energy policy as contained in the 2009 departed markedly from the Strategic National Energy Plan designed by the Energy Commission. The Energy Policy blueprint was designed by the Energy Commission and intended to serve as a guide to how the country should approach its energy policies within a specific period of time. But Mr. Simons says the NDC government appears to be sidelining the plan. He said the figures relating to energy in the budget are not consistent with what is contained in the energy plan. “If you have a strategic national energy plan, it should inform all budgets that follow or indications should be given that that plan ought to be reformed or is about to be reformed.” Mr. Simons says the situation could negatively affect the country’s economic in the future. “We could see a situation where the energy system as a whole would prove an impediment to our growth.” According to him, efforts by successive governments in the energy sector have been on adhoc basis. “There has been no clear agenda in which the growth needs of this country have tied to energy and that is because of lack consistent planning. Since 2002 we tried to remedy that by trying to have a strategic energy plan, so this plan should become the guiding for all other policymaking.” Story by Malik Abass Daabu