The staff of the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) will experience some delay in the payment of their March salary, Starrfm.com.gh has gathered.

This is due to the taking over of the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) by Power Distribution Service (PDS).

PDS became directors and administrators of ECG on March 1 after the initial takeover which was to have taken place on February 1 was rescheduled.

Announcing the salary delay to staff in a circular dated March 27 and sighted by Starrfm.com.gh, the Chief Executive of GRIDCo Jonathan Amoako-Baah said: “…Due to the operationalization of the Power Distribution Service (PDS) as part of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) reforms, we anticipate a few days delay in the payment of the March 2019 salary.”

It will be recalled that government of Ghana on August 5, 2014, executed the second Millennium Challenge Compact with the US Government with the objective of, inter alia, increasing private sector investment and the productivity and profitability of micro, small, medium and large scale businesses.

Among the six (6) Projects within the second Compact is the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Project (EFOT), which seeks to introduce a Private Sector Participant in the Management and Operations of ECG.

Consequently, the GoG, under the auspices of the Millennium Development Authority, embarked upon a competitive procurement process which resulted in the selection of an acceptable partner to manage, operate, and invest in ECG’s operations for 20 years.

The Meralco-led Consortium was declared the winning bidder on April 20 2018. Meralco has partnered AEnergia SA, an Angolan company, and three Ghanaian Companies: TG Energy Solutions Ghana Limited, Santa Power Limited and GTS Power Limited, to form Power Distribution Services Ghana Ltd. (PDS), which is 51, Ghanaian-owned as required by the Government of Ghana.

The Concessionaire, PDS, is expected to strengthen the Governance, Management and Operations of ECG and improve the delivery of power to end users to support socio-economic growth in Ghana.