Minority Leader and former Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has strongly defended his record at ECG, stating that meaningful, cost-saving reforms—not new levies or repeated tariff hikes—are the sustainable path forward for Ghana’s energy sector.
Responding to public criticism from former VRA CEO Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Afenyo-Markin outlined what he described as a “bold, structural reform agenda” that guided his leadership during his six-month tenure as ECG Board Chair between July 2024 and January 2025.
“It is worth noting that during my tenure, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) received the highest cumulative payments in recent years,” Afenyo-Markin revealed.
“These were part of a broader vision to tackle systemic inefficiencies at ECG—a vision fully endorsed by former President Akufo-Addo.”
Crucially, Afenyo-Markin rejected the idea that reforms should come at the cost of ordinary Ghanaians.
“Let me reiterate that my approach to reforms at ECG has never been anchored in tariff increments or new levies,” he said.
“I have consistently advocated for cost-saving measures and revenue protection, not additional burdens on consumers.”
He described the current wave of energy levies and tariffs under the NDC administration as misplaced and unjustified.
In particular, he criticised the 1 cedi Energy Sector Levy per litre of petroleum at the pump and the 17.2% cumulative electricity tariff increase recorded between May and July 2025.
“Tariffs, when necessary, must be justified by efficiency, not imposed to cover mismanagement,” he argued.
According to Afenyo-Markin, internal ECG reports during his chairmanship revealed that less than 30% of consumers paid for electricity consumed, with the majority of losses attributed to illegal connections, outdated metering, and poor billing systems.
“It is therefore misguided to resort to frequent tariff hikes or new levies without fixing these deep-rooted inefficiencies,” he said.
“These are the real problems. And without fixing them, no amount of revenue will be enough.”
The Minority Leader concluded by reaffirming his commitment to pragmatic, non-partisan energy reforms and dismissed Dr. Wereko-Brobbey’s accusations as inaccurate and unhelpful to the national discourse.
