President John Dramani Mahama, excludes the presidency a policy directive exempting several key state institutions and agencies from paying electricity bills.
Under the new arrangement, Mahama excludes the presidency, and the Ministry of Finance will assume full financial responsibility for the electricity consumption of these selected institutions, using funds allocated to it under the budget for goods and services.
Sustain essential public services
The directive is intended to ease the financial burden on these vital government services and ensure their uninterrupted operation across the country.
According to the Cabinet decision, Mahama excludes the presidency, and the exemptions are targeted, not blanket, and apply only to specified services and facilities within each institution, rather than entire ministries.
List of exempted ministries
Institutions and agencies granted exemptions include:
The Office of the President
The Ministry of Defence
The Ministry of the Interior
The Ministry of Health
The Ministry of Education
These exemptions, however, are limited to certain operational facilities deemed essential to national development and public service delivery.
Education sector: Learning spaces only
For the Ministry of Education, the exemptions cover institutions of learning such as schools, colleges, and universities.
Specific facilities within these institutions that are exempt include:
Computer and science laboratories
University lecture halls
Medical and research laboratories
Facilities not included in the exemptions are:
Dormitories
Assembly halls
Staff bungalows
Hostels
Dining halls
Craft and trade workshops
Recreational facilities
Any other non-strategic facilities not directly used for learning
Health sector: Critical care infrastructure
In the case of the Ministry of Health, the exemptions cover hospitals and key health facilities such as:
Blood banks
Operating theatres
Medical laboratories
Vaccine storage centres
Designated pharmacies
Patient wards
Consulting rooms and critical offices
Excluded from the exemptions are:
Staff bungalows
Street lighting
Recreational centres
Facilities not directly tied to patient care
Any auxiliary installations not classified as strategic
Implementation and oversight
The directive includes a classification system to ensure clarity on what constitutes a strategic or exempt facility. Institutions are expected to strictly adhere to these classifications, and implementation will be subject to oversight and periodic review.
This move underscores the Mahama administration’s focus on sustaining critical national services while managing public sector spending in a targeted and strategic manner.
