Government would pay GHC1 billion for 3 months electricity relief - Energy Minister
- The Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu, has disclosed that it would cost the government GHC1 billion to absorb three months of electricity bills from customers
- He added that the electricity produced would cover 4.8 million metres across the country
- About 86% of Ghanaians are expected to benefit from the package as they have access to the national grid
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The Minister of Energy, John Peter Amewu, has revealed that the government would pay GHC1 billion for the three months of relief from electricity bills by consumers.
According to him, the electricity produced would cover 4.8 million metres across Ghana.
On Thursday, April 9, 2020, President Akufo-Addo announced that the poorest of the poor in Ghana would pay nothing for electricity while residential and commercial users would pay 50% of the cost per month, using the March 2020 bill as a benchmark.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: IES predicts government would pay GHC2.5 billion for electricity for Ghanaians
This follows an announcement of a partial lockdown in Ghana as part of the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Amewu explained that the 3-month relief, running from April through to June, would cost GH¢244 million per month and GH¢732m in total, GhanaWeb.com reports.
It is estimated that about 86% of Ghanaians have access to the national grid and will benefit from the reliefs announced by the government.
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) has raised concerns about the government’s decision to absorb 50% of the electricity bills of residential and commercial users for the next three months.
The Centre is convinced that the decision could be the final nail in the coffin of the debt-stricken sector which is already facing challenges.
ACEP revealed that the decision is likely to cost the government about GHC1 billion each month, bringing the total cost to approximately GHC3 billion.
READ ALSO: Fitch predicts COVID-19 could lead to possible slowdown in Ghana's power sector
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Source: YEN.com.gh
