
Energy Minister John Jinapor has revealed concerning financial mismanagement at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), disclosing significant overspending that has severely impacted the company’s financial stability.
According to Jinapor, ECG’s planned procurement budget for 2014 was GH¢1.397 billion, but actual spending surged to GH¢8.2 billion by the end of the year. A similar pattern emerged in 2023, where ECG initially budgeted under GH¢1 billion, yet expenditures ballooned to GH¢8.3 billion—overshooting the budget by over GH¢7.3 billion.
“This represents an alarming 700 percent increase from what was originally budgeted,” Jinapor stated. “In 2022, ECG procured GH¢1.3 billion worth of goods. By 2023, the figure had surged to GH¢8.3 billion, and in 2024, it reached GH¢8.2 billion. This reckless spending has crippled ECG financially,” he lamented.
In addition, National Security operatives have apprehended 14 individuals—including 10 Chinese nationals and 4 Ghanaians—in connection with the disappearance of 1,300 containers belonging to ECG.
Jinapor assured the public that those responsible for both the overspending and the missing containers would be held accountable. “In simple terms, I want my containers—simple as that,” he declared. “Wherever they are, we will trace them. The individuals we’ve detained will not only face prosecution, but we will also seek a court order to sell their assets. The proceeds will be used to invest in the grid system and improve power delivery reliability.”
Chief Superintendent Osman Alhassan, Director of Investigations at the National Security Council Secretariat, clarified that no Indian national had been arrested in relation to the missing ECG containers. He confirmed that only 14 individuals—10 Chinese nationals and 4 Ghanaians—were in custody.