- ECG exceeded its 2023 budget by GH¢7.3 billion
- 14 individuals arrested over missing ECG containers
- Jinapor vows to stabilize ECG’s finances
Energy Minister John Jinapor has revealed disturbing financial mismanagement at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), highlighting excessive overspending that has significantly drained the company’s resources.
The Minister explained that in 2014, ECG’s planned procurement budget was GH¢1.397 billion, but the actual spending surged to GH¢8.2 billion by the year’s end. A similar pattern occurred in 2023 when ECG initially budgeted less than GH¢1 billion but ended up spending GH¢8.3 billion—exceeding the budget by over GH¢7.3 billion.
“This represents an alarming 700 percent increase compared to what was planned,” Jinapor pointed out. “In 2022, ECG procured GH¢1.3 billion worth of goods, but by 2023, that figure had skyrocketed to GH¢8.3 billion, and in 2024, it remained at GH¢8.2 billion. This reckless overspending has severely crippled ECG’s finances,” he added.
In the midst of this, National Security forces arrested 14 individuals, including 10 Chinese nationals and four Ghanaians, in connection with the disappearance of 1,300 ECG containers.
Jinapor reassured the public that those responsible would face accountability and that measures were being taken to stabilize ECG’s financial situation.
“In simple terms, I want my containers—nothing more,” he stated. “Wherever they are, we will track them down. Those we’ve apprehended will not just be prosecuted. We will go to court, seek orders to seize their assets, and use the proceeds to invest in the grid system for more reliable power delivery.”
Chief Superintendent Osman Alhassan, Director of Investigations at the National Security Council Secretariat, clarified that no Indian nationals were involved in the case. He confirmed that only 14 people—10 Chinese nationals and four Ghanaians—had been detained.
