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Obstacles to progress

Realities

Ghana
PPs hint of blackouts in Ghana over unpaid US$1.5 Million debt from ECG
“ Private power producers in Ghana may curtail power supply if the state power utility
Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) does not pay up a debt of 1.5 billion US dollars it owes the
power producers, a statement said here on Monday.

The situation could plunge the country into darkness as the Independent Power Producers
(IPPs) generate 2,600 Mega Watts (MW), or about 60 percent of the 4000 MW total generating-

capacity of Ghana “
"IPPs Hint of Blackouts in Ghana over Unpaid US$1.5 Million Debt from ECG" 294
News Ghana.
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Malawi
Govt Will Not Bail Out Escom From MK 53 Billion Bill to Egenco- Chilima
“ Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima, who is also Minister responsible for Public Sector Reforms,
says government will not bail out Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) from its
MK53 billion unpaid electricity generation bills it owes Electricity Generation Company

(Egenco). “
"Govt Will Not Bail Out Escom From MK 53 Billion Bill to Egenco- Chilima" 295
Malawi Voice
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Uganda
Mbale municipality owes Umeme UGX 60M in unpaid power bills
“The street lights in Mbale municipality have been dysfunctional for the last two years due to
an accumulated power bill worth Shillings 60 million.”
"Mbale Municipality Owes Umeme UGX 60M in Unpaid Power Bills |." 296
Accessed September 4, 2020.
https://www.dispatch.ug/2018/08/29/mbale-municipality-owes-umeme-ugx-60m-unpaid-power-
bills/.
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Where are my Wages ?

'Unpaid Wages' are a problem across Africa. Governments burdened by 'Debt Overhang',
suffering 'Illicit Finance Flows' and facing a Cash Flow crisis simply choose one of the few

'easy' options to them - and fail to pay their workers and contractors.
The knock on effects are obvious, social unrest, harsher policing - and people turning to

corruption. And unpaid wages in the Public Sector will always work against efforts to build robust
institutions

The following are just some of the African news stories related to unpaid wages in recent
years. There is no way of knowing how representative the list is - merely that it evidences a

widespread problem.