Former Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu has revealed that the government has reduced the country’s energy sector debt by about 45%.

He added that all monies government owed the Electricity Company of Ghana  has also been paid.

“The energy sector debt stands at about $1.5 billion from a figure of about $2.7 billion. l have stated earlier on that the Ministry of Finance has already cleared all the debt it owes ECG, so the debt today is about $1.5 billion through reconciliation and l think that is a very good effort by this government”

Ghana’s energy sector debt previously stood at about $2.7 billion.

Mr Amewu who has been moved from the Energy sector to oversee the railway’s development ministry made these known during his vetting in Parliament on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Mr Amewu also indicated that it cost the government over a billion Ghana Cedis to provide the electricity subsidies announced as part of its relief package to residents during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

“The electricity relief which we call the COVID-19 relief that his Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo introduced basically was to address the suffering of Ghanaians during the peak period of the COVID-19. A total of close to 1 billion Ghana Cedis was paid and this has been segmented between ECG, GRA, and then NEDCO. The total payment is about 1 billion cedis.”

Lifeline consumers however continue to get free electricity and water till March 2021.