Burma Camp commercial operators to pay electricity as govt ends free supply

For the first time in years, commercial operators at Burma Camp will be required to pay for their own electricity following the removal of a long-standing exemption previously granted to the Ghana Armed Forces, Energy Minister Dr John Abdulai Jinapor has announced.

Speaking before Parliament’s Government Assurances Committee on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Dr Jinapor explained that businesses operating within the military enclave—such as cold stores, barbering shops, car washes, and laundries—had been functioning without paying electricity or water bills, despite operating as profit-making ventures.

“Some of them were not even soldiers. They set up businesses when they were soldiers and left. And you know the barracks, if you have a child, that child is almost supposed to stay in the barracks with you. So non-military persons also stay in the barracks. But unfortunately, those who are non-military personnel are even more than the military personnel,” the minister said.

Dr Jinapor said a personal visit to Burma Camp informed his decision to end the blanket exemption, describing the move as politically challenging. “I personally had to take a difficult political decision. Until I came in, every electricity use in every barracks was totally free,” he added.

The minister linked the decision to a Cabinet directive issued in July 2025, which mandated the installation of prepaid meters across public institutions, including the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, the Presidency, and public educational and health facilities, with limited exemptions.

He also noted that a shortfall in meters inherited from previous procurement decisions had posed challenges for implementation, underscoring the need for the current reforms.