The Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Management and Sustainable Energy (CEMSE), Mr. Ben Nsiah, has cautioned the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, against what he described as repeated public lamentations over the financial challenges in the energy sector.

Speaking in an interview on Class 91.3 FM’s morning show hosted by Kwame Dwumoh Agyemang on Wednesday, Mr. Nsiah warned that the Minister’s approach to disclosing liabilities in the energy generation sector could discourage potential investors.

“The manner in which the Minister continues to speak about the sector’s liabilities could send the wrong signal to investors.

It creates an impression that any capital injected into the sector may not be recoverable,” he said.

Mr. Nsiah argued that while transparency is important, sensitive financial information should be handled with discretion, particularly in a sector as critical as energy.

He suggested that such issues be addressed through diplomatic engagements with key stakeholders such as Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and the Ministry of Finance, rather than through the media.

“Investors are listening. If the Minister continues to lament publicly, it could create despair and further weaken confidence in the sector,” he warned.

“This behaviour, going forward, will not help in attracting the investment and capital injection the energy sector urgently needs.”

He urged the Minister to be more strategic in his communication, stressing the need to focus on policy solutions and attracting new investments instead of emphasising the sector’s financial distress.

Mr. Nsiah also called on the government to urgently develop and implement a clear action plan to rescue the energy sector from a potential crisis.

He recalled that in 2019, the Energy Sector Reform Programme, supported by the World Bank, aimed to bring lasting reforms to the sector.

However, he noted that since then, no comprehensive action plan has emerged to sustain those efforts.

“It’s time for the government to prioritise the energy sector.

Without a proper roadmap and responsible leadership communication, we risk losing investor confidence and plunging the country back into a power crisis,” Mr. Nsiah concluded.