Ghana loses $8.3 million on dormant Ameri plant - NPP

According to the party, per the agreement signed by government and the managers of the plant, Ghana pays $8.3 million monthly to Ameri Power.

A statement signed by NPP’s Director of Communications, Nana Akomea said the situation has worsened in recent times due to government’s indebtedness to suppliers of gas.

He added that government is struggling to procure the product to power plants in the country to generate electricity.

“Per the agreement President Mahama’s government signed with the Ameri plant owners, Ghana has to pay $8.3 million dollars monthly to Ameri whether the Ameri plant generated electricity or not. Government also, per the agreement, undertook to supply the required gas needed by the Ameri plant to generate electricity,” the statement added.

Dumsor back or not

Ghanaians in recent times have been experiencing erratic power cuts a result of temporary difficulties caused by the delay in the supply of light crude among others.

The Ministry of Power has cited the non-availability of gas from the West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP), and the limited amount of electricity generated from the Akosombo dam among others, as reasons for the recent power outages.

Gov’t importing electricity from Ivory Coast

The NPP in the statement also disclosed that government is importing electricity from neighbouring Ivory Coast to augment the country’s power needs.

“Let’s also note that the government has now resorted to importing electricity from lvory coast. Ivory Coast generates electricity at 9 cents per kilowatt while Ghana generates at 14 cents per kilowatt,” Nana Akomea added.

Below is the full statement

The New Patriotic Party, like many Ghanaians, is highly distressed that Ghana is paying $8.3 million a month to the Ameri plant even though the plant has not generated any electricity in the past one month.

Per the agreement President Mahama's government signed with the Ameri plant owners, Ghana has to pay $8.3 million dollars A MONTH to Ameri whether the Ameri plant generated electricity or not.

Government also, per the agreement, undertook to supply the required gas needed by the Ameri plant to generate electricity.

GHANA IS PAYING NEARLY $10 MILLION A MONTH TO THE AMERI POWER PLANT FOR NO WORK DONE DUE TO GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENCE IN SUPPLY GAS TO AMERI

In the past month however, government has not been able to supply this gas to Ameri because Atuabo gas plant is not working and the Nigerian gas company n-gas are not supplying gas because government has not paid the Nigerians for gas supplied.

In summary,

1) Ghana is once again suffering from Dumsor

2) Ghana is paying nearly $10 million of taxpayers monies a month to Ameri for no work done.

3) No work is being done by Ameri because President Mahama’s government has not been able to supply gas to Ameri (as per the agreement it signed with Ameri)

4) The poor Ghanaian is still paying record and unbearable electricity bills due to tariff arrangement government entered into with EMERGENCY plants such as Ameri, even though there is no adequate electricity

4) So after all the noise made by president mahama and his government about Atuabo being “an unprecedented achievement and a game changer”, goverment can still not assure gas supplies to domestic power producers, two years after Atuabo had been commissioned.

5) This is another sad example of the incompetence, deceitfulness and corruption that has characterized President Mahama’s government in the energy sector alone.

6) Let’s also note that the government has now resorted to importing electricity from lvory coast. Ivory Coast generates electricity at 9 cents per kilowatt while Ghana generates at 14 cents per kilowatt.

MORE DECEIT/ INCONSISTENCY AND UNTRUTHS FROM GOVERNMENT OVER ELECTRICITY TARIFFS

As if this terrible situation of Dumsor, unbearable tariffs and financial loss is not enough, the poor Ghanaian electricity consumer is fed with more lies, inconsistencies and untruths about electricity tariffs.

On July 3rd, the deputy minister for power and the ECG announced some reduction in electricity tariffs, from 67 pesewas to 34 pesewas for every unit of electricity consumed. And that these reductions will be secured through government provision of a SUBSIDY of ghc300 million, to be reviewed in December 2016.

On 5th July, president mahama told Ghanaians there was NO SUBSIDY, and that the reductions will be secured through what he termed “REALIGNMENT”.

Yesterday 13th July, on Joy fm breakfast show, Finance Minister Seth Tekper said there would be a SUBSIDY.

So between the Ministry For Power, the ECG;, the Ministry For Finance and the President, who is telling the truth to Ghanaians?

GOVERNMENT SHOULD STOP THE DENIAL OVER DUMSOR AND PUBLISH A SCHEDULE

Another deceit over electricity is that while Ghanaians in the last months are gong through load shedding/dumsor, President Mahama has claimed there is no load shedding going on, preferring to call what is going on as localised and temporary blackouts.

Hence government will not have a time table/ schedule published because that will amount to an admission of systematic load shedding /dumsor.

But Ghanaians have been suffering a patterned load shedding over the last few months. Government’s refusal to acknowledge it and publish a schedule has meant that consumers and industry cannot plan, thus imposing uncertainty on the Ghanaian consumer in the midst of Dumsor.

The NPP calls on the government to listen to the cry of the industries and Ghanaians, and stop the inexplicable denial and immediately publish a time table /schedule for the ongoing Dumsor.

…signed…

Nana Akomea

(Director of Communications)