Chief Executive Interacts with Staff at Akuse, Akosombo and Aboadze Locations

As part of efforts to improve management of the VRA, the Ag. Chief Executive (CE), Mr. Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, and his Management team
interacted with staff at the Akosombo, Akuse and Aboadze locations at a forum dubbed "CE’s Durbar". Interacting with staff, the Chief Executive reiterated Management's commitment to ensure implementation of a paperless system of transacting business within the Authority from January 1, 2018. This, is expected not only to make the VRA efficient but also cut down on operational cost. He said, "Information Communication Technology (ICT) dominates the 21st century. Luckily, VRA has invested hugely in ICT facilities over the years; we would therefore leverage on it to ensure efficiency and improve performance". He said that for instance, if you want to do any business outside your location, you have to explore the opportunity of doing video conferencing first before vehicular movement".

Power Operations
Mr. Antwi-Darkwa disclosed that since July 2017, VRA has stopped importing power from Cote d`Ivoire due to measures to ensure VRA's thermal plants are operated in a manner the VRA would begin exporting power to Cote d`Ivoire. "That is how we want to run the business; cut our cost, explore export opportunities and increase our revenue. To do this, we will reprioritize our expenditure so that we can gather more resources to support our thermal plants; because if we do not operate, we do not sell and if we do not sell, we do not get revenue," the Chief Executive emphasised. He added that there is abundance of gas from so many sources, we have made the decision not to buy crude if possible, as part of our initiatives to cut down on our expenditure.

Financial Recovery
Mr. Antwi-Darkwa said the VRA is putting together a financial recovery plan in the 2018 budget, aimed at saving the Authority from its current financial situation. "The 2018 budget would be difficult but it is a necessary evil, it has to be done. We cannot wait another year without taking the necessary steps to save the Authority," he said.

Restructuring of the VRA
He said restructuring the operations of the Authority to meet competition within the energy sector is non-negotiable. However, in carrying this out, Management is committed to ensuring that it is in the interest of all staff. He explained that one of the mandates of the new Board is to position the Authority to meet the ever-growing competition within the energy sector and urged staff to give the Board maximum co-operation.

Responding to a question on the future of the Non-Core Departments after the restructuring process, Mr. Antwi-Darkwa said he has directed the VRA International Schools to re-submit a proposal to Management on the modalities of the school in view of the introduction of the free Senior High School (SHS ) policy. On the Health Services, he indicated that a series of concerns have been brought to Management's attention bothering on infrastructure. He assured Management’s commitment to complete the Eye Clinic. He further entreated the leadership of both the hospital and the school to come up with good strategies to turn around their operations to success.

At Aboadze, the staff used the opportunity to call attention to some challenges, including the issue of lack of wards at Aboadze Hospital and congestion at the Aboadze International School. Concluding, the Chief Executive said if the VRA must make economic impact, then there is the need to move away from our public sector, business-as-usual mentality, and embrace the private sector approach; a condition critical for appreciating the enormity of competing with the private sector in the electricity wholesale market.

In the CE’s delegation was Deputy Chief Executive (Services), Ing. Richmond Evans-Appiah, Deputy Chief Executive (Finance), Ms. Alexandra Totoe, Deputy Chief Executive (Engineering & Operations), Ing. Richard Badger and Ing. John Nuworklo (Advisor to the Chief Executive).

Mr. Antwi-Darkwa interacting with staff at Akuse

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