Kennedy Nyarko Osei, Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, has expressed strong reservations over the government’s recent decision to exempt several major state institutions from paying their electricity bills, arguing that the move lacks justification for most of the affected ministries.
The Cabinet-approved directive shifts the responsibility for electricity payments of strategic agencies—including the Office of the President, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education—to the Ministry of Finance, funded from their goods and services budgets. The policy aims to safeguard uninterrupted public service delivery amid escalating utility costs.
However, Nyarko Osei criticized the exemptions, highlighting that ministries like the Office of the President already received substantial budget allocations this year. “Why should these institutions now expect free electricity?” he questioned, advocating instead for budget adjustments during the mid-year review to reflect these exemptions.
The MP emphasized that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) must be held accountable for their utility consumption to promote fiscal discipline and transparency in public expenditure.
As the government proceeds with the directive, Nyarko Osei’s intervention spotlights growing debates around balancing operational efficiency with financial sustainability in Ghana’s public sector management.
