President Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Ishmael Ackah as the acting executive secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), www.asaaseradio.com can confirm.
The appointment took effect from 28 January 2022, pending “receipt of the constitutionally required advice of the governing board of the Commission, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission”, the official letter of appointment signed by the secretary to the president, Nana Bediatuo Asante, said.
Profile
Ishmael Ackah is an energy economist with more than ten years of experience spanning public service, civil society, the private sector and academia. He is the regulatory and electricity market expert of the USAID West Africa Energy Programme, Ghana.
Ackah is a fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs Ghana.
He worked as the head of policy unit at the Africa Centre for Energy Policy. Dr Ackah also served for two years as the technical advisor on energy and petroleum policy to Ghana’s minister for planning. He was the first co-ordinator of Local Content Secretariat at the Ghana Energy Commission.
He has provided research consultancy services for the United Nations University, African Development Bank, IHS Markit, GOGIG/OPM, Ghana’s National Accreditation Board, the Natural Resource Governance Institute and SNV Ghana, among others.
He has published roughly 40 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals such as the Energy Research and Social Science Journal, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Energy Efficiency Journal, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews and the Extractive Industries and Society Journal.
Dr Ackah holds a PhD in energy economics and policy from the University of Portsmouth and an MSc in energy economics and policy from the University of Surrey, both in the UK. He undertook undergraduate studies at the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
About the PURC
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) was established in October 1997 under the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act 1997 (Act 538) as a multi-sector regulator to oversee the provision of electricity and water utility services. The establishment of the Commission was part of the Government of Ghana’s utility sector reform process.
Through the Energy Commission Act 1997, the PURC also regulates transportation of natural gas services.
Under Section 4 of the governing legislation, the PURC is an independent body and not subject to the control of any authority in performing its functions. However, it submits annual operational and financial reports to Parliament. The Office of the President also exercises some administrative oversight for the Commission.
The PURC is made up of nine commissioners, including a chairman, an executive secretary, an institutional representative each for labour, industry and domestic consumers, together with four experts in various aspects of the Commission’s work. Commissioners are appointed by the president in consultation with the Council of State for five-year terms, which are renewable. The Commission is supported by a secretariat, led by the executive secretary.
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