John Jinapor (L) shaking hands with Edmond Kombat, TOR MD
The Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Jon Jinapor, has conducted a working visit to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) as part of ongoing efforts to evaluate, support and modernise the operations of key agencies under the Ministry.
During his visit to Tema Oil Refinery, the minister toured sections of the facility to gain firsthand insight into ongoing upgrading works and the overall state of the refinery.
He reiterated TOR’s strategic importance to Ghana’s energy security and industrial development, while expressing concern about the leadership instability that has hindered progress in recent years.
Commending the significant progress achieved at TOR over the past nine months, the Minister urged the Managing Director, Mr. Edmond Kombat and his management team to sustain the current momentum and adopt innovative, sustainable strategies to enhance operational efficiency and resilience.
He also revealed that the previous administration had handed over TOR to a private company for just USD 22 million a deal he described as lacking transparency.
The matter, he disclosed, has been referred to the Attorney-General for advice and appropriate action.
To improve logistics and operations within the Tema industrial enclave, the Minister announced plans to engage the Minister for Roads and Highways to address the poor access roads that currently affect movement and productivity in the area.
At GRIDCo, the minister expressed deep concern over the decline in the company’s financial health, noting that GRIDCo was once capable of financing major infrastructure projects from its own balance sheet.
“Sadly, that is no longer the case,” he said, urging management to take bold corrective measures to restore GRIDCo’s financial strength and technical leadership.
He emphasised that GRIDCo’s stability is critical to the reliability of Ghana’s electricity transmission system and to the success of the government’s 24-hour economy initiative, which seeks to expand productivity and job creation through a stable energy supply.
The minister noted that these visits form part of a broader reform agenda to modernise Ghana’s energy institutions, strengthen governance, and promote innovation in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for a resilient, secure, and future-ready energy sector.
