The Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, Dr. Nii Moi Thompson, has raised concerns over what he describes as the critical link between infrastructure—particularly electricity and water—and Ghana’s economic growth, warning that lapses in key sectors could undermine industrialisation.
Speaking on The Point of View on Channel One TV with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Dr Thompson said electricity remains central to economic expansion, noting that power consumption is often used as a measure of growth in modern economies.
“In some economic models, electricity consumption is used as a proxy for economic growth, especially in a modern economy. You can’t industrialize without power. Without electricity you don’t have a modern economy,” he said.
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He, also shifted focus to the water sector, which he argued receives less attention despite its equally critical role in supporting economic activity.
“The negligence and impunity by those who should be producing water and the fact that they’ve deviated from their core mandate and I’m talking about Ghana Water here,” he said.
Citing the company’s own performance targets, he noted that Ghana Water had committed to reducing water losses—commonly referred to as non-revenue water—from 45 per cent to 25 per cent between 2022 and 2025. Instead, he said, losses have increased.
“If you read their progress report for 2022-2025, they promised on their own to reduce water losses from 45% of water produced to 25%. Instead they went up to 52%, and nobody is being held responsible,” he stated.
Dr Thompson further criticised the company’s decision to venture into sachet and bottled water production, arguing that it diverts attention from its primary responsibility and places it in direct competition with private businesses.
“What they have done also is to deviate from their core mandate of producing potable water for industry, households and businesses to now producing sachet water in competition with private enterprise. I’m told they now want to move into bottled water. So now they have moved from sachet to bottle and competing with private businesses instead of focusing on their core mandate of supplying us with water for industry. And without water you cannot add value,” he said.
He stressed that both electricity and water are fundamental to value addition and industrial growth,warning that inefficiencies in these sectors could slow Ghana’s broader development agenda.
