To ensure the growth of businesses and increased investment, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has admonished the government to involve the private sector in the energy sector.
He has asked the government to prioritise policies that will lead to job creation and essential financial investment, calling on the administration to diversify public enterprises like the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) by involving the private sector.
The Asantehene’s comments came at the commissioning of a 430-kilometre natural gas pipeline by Genser Energy aimed at improving energy generation in the country.
“It’s about time that the government realizes that it’s not going to work for the government to be involved in setting up companies without involving the private sector, it doesn’t work. The government should confront policies and involve the private sector and you can attract more investors into the country which will create more employment.
“VRA and others are all government establishments, let’s give it out and diversify them into the private sector and get more money there and get the right people to do it. GRIDCo and others let’s give them the money and get the qualified people, diverse government from it and let them work. Electricity Company is in a situation where we don’t know, but that also must be diversified and given to the private sector.
“Why are we still holding on when we don’t have the money? We’re not able to collect all the taxes we want, we’re going to IMF and all those for money. We’re hanging onto industries we cannot maintain and run.
“It’s about time we face reality and decide on what government should be doing and what the private sector should be doing. This is a testimony of the private sector, and they were able to attract investors,” the Asantehene relayed.
