By Ashiadey Dotse
Former Member of Parliament for Bongo, Edward Abambire Bawa, has criticized the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for worsening Ghana’s energy sector debt, which he says has grown significantly since the National Democratic Congress (NDC) left office in 2017.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, January 11, 2025, Bawa revealed that the NDC government exited power with an energy sector debt of $2.4 billion.
He explained that while this amount was significant, it was being managed through the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA), which was introduced to address financial challenges in the sector.
Bawa accused the NPP government of failing to properly manage the debt and settle payments owed to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). This, he said, has deepened Ghana’s energy crisis and led to frequent power outages in recent months.
IPPs, which generate a significant portion of the country’s electricity, have been struggling financially due to delayed payments from the government. This has affected their ability to produce and supply reliable power, contributing to the current electricity challenges facing the nation.
Bawa stressed that the NPP’s poor handling of the energy sector’s finances has caused the debt to increase and urged the government to take swift action to address the issue.
