GHANA- Friday, August 7, 2020/– The Ministry of Energy has rejected claims that almost GHS20 million out of the Public Lighting Levy collected between 2018 and 2019 cannot be accounted for.
Some media houses quoted Energy Minister Peter Amewu as stating that nearly GHS20 million had been missing from the GHS273 million public lighting levy collected between 2018 and 2019 by the Ghana Electricity Company, Volta River Authority, and Northern Electricity Company of Ghana (NEDCO).
Meanwhile, Head of Communications at the Energy Ministry, Nana Damoah speaking on Citi’s FM Eyewitness News, said these reports were false.
He explained that, contrary to media reports, the Minister of Energy had only tried to demonstrate only the difference between money collected by the Ministry of Energy from the three power sector firms as a Public Lighting Levy and money used.
“That is not true, no money is missing whatsoever. What is being reported as missing is the difference between the monies received by the Ministry and monies utilized? So the difference between what was received and what was utilised is about GHS18 million.”
“Bear in mind the fact that we are accounting for what was spent in 2018 and 2019 so if the money was received quite close to the end of 2019, it will be rolled over to 2020 which is why the GHS18 million has come into question. It was received quite late, so it is not factual to say GHS18 million or so is missing.”
GHS64 million out of the GHS273 million levy was allocated to the Ministry for streetlights repair and maintenance purposes.
Energy Sector Levies Act 2017 requires a charge of 3 per cent per kWh of electricity from all consumer categories as shown in the Energy Sector Levies Act 2017 (Act 946).
The levy is used by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to support the maintenance and investment of traffic and street lights on highways, and the payment of energy bills consumed by traffic lights, among others.
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I’m Deborah Aba Narkoah. I’m an avid reader, writer and public speaker.
