In order to assist citizens in making plans for their lives during continuous power outages, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy has instructed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to create a load-shedding program.

Following weeks of increasingly severe power outages, calls for greater openness and crisis management of the energy sector have been made.

Those calling for a schedule had been incensed by the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who had earlier suggested that they publish their own schedule if they so chose.

But now the Mines and Energy Committee has stepped in, stressing how crucial it is to provide a schedule for load management.

ECG acknowledged that problems with power distribution existed during a meeting with power industry stakeholders on Sunday, April 7.

The chairman of the parliament’s energy committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, emphasized the need for improved planning and transparency and said that the committee would be closely observing how the schedule is carried out.

He said, “The conversations we’ve had so far are very good, some of the technical challenges relating to fuel and the rest of it may be tackled. If there’s under generation, which there’s an admission there’s one, we should do everything in our power to make sure that we generate enough power.”

“I think the Committee was very strong on the matter that if there are power outages, those who are enjoying should know when it’ll be available, and then they plan their lives around the timetable they’ll furnish them.”

“They are going to do it and we’ll do everything in our power to monitor them.”