Energy Minister John Jinapor has raised an urgent alarm regarding a potential nationwide power crisis, revealing that Ghana has less than three days’ worth of liquid fuel available to sustain its electricity-generating plants.

During his address to the Parliamentary Committee on Energy on Thursday, May 15, Mr Jinapor indicated that the Ministry is in a race against time to secure billions of cedis required to pay for new fuel supplies that have already been ordered.

“My primary concern is obtaining the next shipment of liquid fuel. The current fuel stock will last us only 2.6 days,” he informed the MPs.

The Minister explained that while some fuel has been acquired on credit, the absence of immediate funding poses a significant risk to power generation across the nation. He noted that discussions are ongoing with the Ministry of Finance, but its financial limitations hinder progress.

“We have placed an order for fuel, but it requires payment. We are collaborating with the Ministry of Finance to facilitate this, but the reality is that the Ministry has its own constraints. We will be presenting the matter to cabinet to explore ways to enhance the sector,” Mr Jinapor stated.

He also hinted at renewed initiatives to engage the private sector in managing certain operations of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as a long-term sustainable solution.

“While this does not completely resolve the issue, it elevates our situation. If we can improve collections from 40% to 5%, it means we will be generating more revenue,” he explained.

Mr Jinapor further emphasised the importance of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) fulfilling their responsibilities to pay electricity bills and ensuring these expenses are accounted for in their budgets. He stressed that even crucial institutions, including those in health, education, security, and the presidency, require adequate budgetary allocations for their energy needs.