The Volta River Authority (VRA) of Ghana is advocating for the continuation of electricity supply to neighbouring countries, including Togo and Benin, despite experiencing power shortages in the country. According to VRA's Board Chairman, Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, Ghana's over five-decade relationship with its neighbours has been built on mutual support. This relationship should not be abandoned due to temporary challenges in Ghana's power sector.
Amissah-Arthur made these remarks during a stakeholder engagement, emphasizing that Ghana must avoid being selfish with its electricity supply. He noted that Togo and Benin have been important customers and sources of revenue for VRA. In the past, when Ghana experienced power shortfalls, it endured them together with its neighbouring countries that depend on its electricity supply.
The VRA Chairman called on the Ministry of Energy to lead discussions among stakeholders to ensure Ghana continues to honour its export commitments while managing domestic power needs. He stressed the need for the country to balance its power requirements with its obligations to neighbouring countries. This, he believes, will help maintain the long-standing relationships and revenue streams.
Amissah-Arthur also called for renewed investment in VRA's generation capacity. He argued that Ghana's experience with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) highlighted the risks of relying heavily on privately generated power. According to him, VRA was effectively prevented from expanding for almost two decades while the country experimented with the IPP model.
The VRA Chairman welcomed government support for VRA to regain its position as a dominant power producer for Ghana and the West African region. He expressed optimism that the government now understands the dangers of depending on IPPs. This, he believes, will lead to increased support for VRA to enhance its generation capacity.
Amissah-Arthur appealed to the government to treat VRA differently when assessing state-owned enterprises for dividend payments. He explained that VRA's mandate is primarily to provide stable and reliable electricity at the least possible cost, rather than to maximise profits. This, he believes, is different from the profit-driven mandate of other state-owned enterprises.
The Authority remains committed to sustaining a reliable electricity supply to Ghana and its long-standing customers across the West African region. VRA's commitment to its mandate and its relationships with neighbouring countries is expected to ensure a stable power supply in the region.
Key points
- VRA urges Ghana to maintain its commitment to supplying electricity to neighbouring countries despite domestic power shortages.
- The Authority calls for renewed investment in its generation capacity to regain its position as a dominant power producer.
- VRA seeks different treatment from the government when assessing state-owned enterprises for dividend payments due to its unique mandate.
