‘I will not approve anything ECG brings’ – Emmanuel Bedzrah

Energy Committee Chairman Emmanuel Bedzrah says he will not approve any proposal from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

He insists his committee will reject outright every request made by the power distributor.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, September 9, the Energy Committee Chairman made his position clear. “As the Chairman of the Energy Committee, I will not approve of anything that ECG will bring to us,” Emmanuel Bedzrah declared, stressing that the latest request from ECG was unreasonable.

ECG has asked the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for approval to increase its Distribution Service Charge by 225 percent. The company argues the adjustment is necessary to avoid financial collapse and guarantee stable power supply. But Mr. Bedzrah says the Energy Committee will not back the proposal under any circumstances.

When the host, Evans Mensah, pressed him on whether he meant his words literally, Mr. Bedzrah responded firmly: “Yes, zero. I just returned from abroad and on my own page. That is my committee’s WhatsApp platform. It was a bipartisan bashing of ECG. I mean, nobody will come to us with this.”

He argued that ECG had lost credibility with Parliament due to repeated tariff hikes without proper consultation. “The last time they increased by 17 percent they came, and we told them, well, you should have consulted and you didn’t consult. How can you increase the ECG tariff to 225%?” he questioned.

Reflecting on his own record, the Energy Committee Chairman admitted his past approach to utility tariff reviews was different. “Honestly, when I was on the other side of the aisle as the Ranking Member for Works and Housing and Water Resources, I remember, in one of our conversations with PURC, I told them that, well, I would even approve of about 300% for them at that time,” he recalled.

He explained, however, that his current role has given him a broader understanding of the concerns stakeholders have with ECG. “But sitting here as the chairman of the Energy Committee, and listening to PRC, ECG and all the institutions that are under PRC, I will not approve anything that ECG will bring to us,” Mr. Bedzrah stressed.

His remarks come as PURC holds nationwide stakeholder engagements on tariff proposals from ECG and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). GWCL is also requesting a 280 percent increase, citing rising costs linked to water pollution and illegal mining.