A Ranking Member on Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, John Abdulai Jinapor, has lamented the country’s current power challenges while noting that the said debts owed power suppliers are not enough to warrant erratic power cuts.
Recently, Ghanaians have witnessed power cuts after the Electricity Company of Ghana said it is embarking on repair works.
John Jinapor said the amount owed to the West African Pipeline Company (WAPCo) is not “big” enough to result in a load shedding.
“Indeed if $19 million is a major problem, then, we have a serious problem to deal with. If $19 million can lead to this situation, then, we have a huge problem as a country because I thought that a country the size of Ghana and given our GDP, $19 million should not lead to a load shedding of about 600 megawatts,” he said as quoted by myjoyonline.com.
“If the Ministry of Finance mismanages the economy and the cedi depreciates to the level to which we saw, then, the government must be willing and ready to make that payment,” he added.
Government owes the West African Pipeline Company (WAPCo) $19 million out of which Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, said the government has settled $13 million, leaving an arrears of $6 million.
He said the government is in talks with WAPCo to draw up a payment plan for the remaining $6 million.
SSD/NOQ
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