[ 2014-10-29 ]

Street light contractors abandon work
Ghana will soon go dark at night as the
Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is unable to
raise adequate revenue from the current street
light levy to build and maintain street lights in
the country.

According to sources, contractors assigned to
maintain street lights in the country,
particularly ceremonial roads in Accra, are
gearing up to abandon the projects due to failure
in reimbursing them for a year now.

The contractors, who went for loans to undertake
the projects are currently being chased by their
bankers to pay for the facility.

The situation has compelled some contractors, who
have run out of funds, to abandon the maintenance
of street lights on some major roads in Accra.

Presently, electricity consumers in Ghana pay less
than a pesewa (GH¢0.0001) every month as the
street light levy, a charge engineers say is
woefully inadequate to even maintain existing
poles.

Annually, the ECG makes a total of GH¢80, 000
from the street light levy, a figure which,
according to engineers cannot maintain street
lights on a four kilometer road for six months.

The situation has resulted in ECG overrunning its
budget to meet the street light demands of the
nation. Checks by the Business Day have shown that
the street light levy was last increased 20 years
ago, in 1994.

Moves by the ECG to get the Ministry of Energy and
Petroleum to amend the law to allow them increase
the levy have been unsuccessful for the past six
years.

Engineers told the Business Day that they are
worried about the effect of total darkness on
Ghana’s ceremonial roads as the festive season
draws closer.

They pointed out that the situation, if not
addressed immediately, could impact on crime and
motor accidents in the coming weeks.

Source - Joy News

... go Back