The Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has vehemently refuted claims that Ghana is facing financial difficulties hindering the purchase of essential infrastructure for rural electrification projects.

Responding to concerns raised by committee members in a recent sitting before the Government Assurances Committee about delays in project completion due to alleged budget constraints on Friday, May 3, Dr. Prempeh stated unequivocally, "Ghana is not broke that it cannot buy. My last answer to that question was, we are procuring high-voltage and low-voltage poles and completing the same in Binduri."

Highlighting the challenges faced in executing rural electrification projects, Dr. Prempeh emphasized the importance of honouring contracts and the difficulties contractors face when prices escalate unexpectedly.

He explained, "If the contractor feels the prices have escalated and if he goes to buy it, he will lose out of the contract, all over the world, what contractors do is to walk away. It doesn't make it a criminal offense."

Despite acknowledging funding challenges, the Minister asserted that this does not mean Ghana is broke.

Drawing an analogy, he stated, "The fact that you cannot cater for every need of your family does not mean you are broke. The request may come, and you might decide to prioritize the request, and even when you prioritize and a sickness drops, you might have to divert your prioritization to what has become an emergency. Ghana is not broke."

He further reassured the committee that the government remains committed to ensuring that every part of Ghana receives its fair share of electrification, noting that the country has achieved an electrification rate of 88.75%, which he described as commendable, even in comparison to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.