Koforidua: Mr. Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Volta River Authority (VRA), has vowed to tackle receivables challenges and lead the national power generator toward innovative solutions to guarantee Ghana's energy future. Addressing the 2024 Biennial National Delegates Congress of the VRA Senior Staff Association (SSA) in Koforidua, he pledged his commitment to revitalizing VRA and ensuring Ghana's energy security through provision of resources, training, and strategic leadership to sustain it.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Obeng-Kenzo spoke on the theme 'The Impact of Receivables Challenges on the Operations of VRA/NEDCo: Ghana's Energy Security', emphasizing the importance of reliable and sustainable energy for rapid economic growth and development. He highlighted the far-reaching influence of VRA and its subsidiary, NEDCo, stating that their services impact all facets of the economy, from manufacturing and education to healthcare and security.
The CEO identified key factors behind VRA's receivables challenges, such as unreliable power supply, perceived high production costs, delays in billing, and illegal power connections. He urged staff to innovate and contribute proactively, emphasizing the need for both individual and collective action to confront critical challenges in the energy generation sector. He also called for collaboration among stakeholders to find sustainable solutions to bolster Ghana's energy security, reliability, and affordability.
Mr. Obeng-Kenzo lauded the resilience and dedication of the staff, whose efforts have steered the authority over its 63-year history. He acknowledged the need for adaptation to a changing business landscape where private energy companies are making strides, cautioning that VRA risks being left behind if it does not rise to the occasion. He outlined steps to improve debt collection and revenue performance, emphasizing collaboration, integrity, and adherence to core values of VRA.
Despite these challenges, Mr. Obeng-Kenzo expressed optimism about VRA's future, pledging resources, training, and strategic leadership to sustain it for the next six decades. He urged the employees to align their actions with the overarching goal of delivering reliable and affordable electricity to Ghanaians and businesses. As VRA approaches its 64th anniversary, he reaffirmed his belief in the collective power of patriotism and unity to drive the authority and the nation forward.
The 2024 Congress addressed key issues arising from the 2022 Congress. Delegates reviewed accounts of their leadership stewardship, focusing on the financial performance and position of the Association for the latter half of 2022, and for 2023 and 2024. This provided an in-depth analysis of the association's progress and areas for further improvement. The Congress also served as a platform to update members on activities undertaken by the National Executive Committee since their election in March 2023, covering initiatives and achievements up to December 2024.
Another focal point was an exploration of the Association's motto, 'Partners in Good Corporate Governance.' Delegates identified innovative ways to collaborate with management in enhancing VRA's performance and improving the conditions of service for staff to ensure the authority's sustained growth and operational efficiency. Mr. Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, National Chairperson of VRA SSA, emphasized the critical role of the association in sustaining and improving VRA's operations and its subsidiary, NEDCo.
Mr. Ahia pointed out some challenging issues, including the revised cash waterfall mechanism and high distribution losses due to power theft, particularly in the Tamale metropolis. Despite efforts by the Boards, management, and staff of VRA and NEDCo to achieve their vision of becoming 'a model of excellence for power utilities in Africa,' both entities continued to face operational and cash flow challenges. He stated that VRA's market share has dropped, from 63.8 percent in 2019 to 50.3 percent as of March 24, 2025, and noted that NEDCo was grappling with commercial and technical losses, hindering its financial performance and liquidity.
Addressing these challenges, Mr. Ahia called for collaboration between management and the SSA to implement strategic measures. These include contesting the revised cash waterfall mechanism and unfair competition in the electricity market, converting simple cycle plants into combined cycle plants, repowering the T3 plant, and introducing technology to reduce distribution losses, particularly in Tamale. He underlined the importance of motivating staff, improving supervision, enhancing productivity, and safeguarding staff conditions of service.
He urged the appointment of competent leaders and resisted government attempts to pass certain energy sector bills, such as the 'Ghana Hydro Authority,' 'Ghana Thermal Authority,' and 'Ghana Distribution Authority' bills. He also opposed efforts to merge NEDCo with ECG under private sector participation. The 2024 SSA Congress convened leading experts in the electricity market for a panel discussion to identify critical challenges and formulate proposed solutions. Mr. Ahia expressed confidence that these discussions would help ensure the viability and sustainability of VRA and NEDCo, enabling them to play a more effective role in securing Ghana's energy future.
