Govt Waives Electricity Bills for Presidency, Health, Education Ministries

Accra, Ghana - 26 May, 2025 - Ghana's government has taken a significant step to safeguard the delivery of essential services by exempting key strategic institutions from paying electricity bills. 

The move, announced by Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, follows a Cabinet decision chaired by President John Dramani Mahama. The exemption will apply to core operational units in critical sectors such as health, education, security, and defense, ensuring that vital services remain uninterrupted.

The exemption applies to core operational units in ministries such as the Office of the President, Defence, Interior, Health, and Education, covering facilities like classrooms, hospitals, and emergency response units. 

However, auxiliary facilities like staff residences, dormitories, and recreational areas will not be covered. 

The Ministry of Finance will absorb the electricity costs for the exempted institutions through their approved budget allocations.

Meanwhile, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) have been directed to intensify revenue collection efforts from non-exempt institutions and are authorized to disconnect power to entities with unpaid bills.

“This exemption ensures uninterrupted services in sectors vital to national security, health, and education, while also enforcing accountability among non-exempt users,” the Energy Minister stated.

Institutions covered under the exemption include:

• Office of the President
• Ministry of Defence – covering military intelligence, national defence communications, and emergency systems only.
• Ministry of the Interior – limited to police and emergency response units.
• Ministry of Health – including hospitals, theatres, blood banks, labs, and wards (excluding staff housing and leisure spaces).
• Ministry of Education – covering classrooms, lecture halls, universities, labs, and research facilities (excluding dormitories and recreational areas).

Source: Lead News Online