The Ministry of Finance has issued a directive to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to pay a $30 million debt owed to Sunon Asogli, an Independent Power Producer.
This notice, according to norvanreports.com is part of a new agreement aimed at resolving the debt issues that led to the shutdown of Sunon Asogli’s 560-megawatt power plant.
The initiative comes amid concerns by power consumers who believe that Ghana could face a potential power crisis, known as “dumsor,” which is likely to impact the country’s economy.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Sunon Asogli, Dr. Elikplim Apertogbor, has expressed concerns about the ministry’s hesitant efforts to pay the $30 million debt.
According to Elikplim, attempts to end verbal negotiations with the Finance Minister have been unsuccessful.
“Since we shut down, we’ve had some verbal engagement, and he [Finance Minister] has maintained the position that he’s not willing to talk to us until this matter is resolved,” he said.
Additionally, the Executive Director of the African Center for Energy Policy, Ben Boakye, has noted that inefficiencies in the energy sector will continue to plague the country due to the lack of effective leadership at ECG.
“These shutdowns will continue to occur because the situation is not good, it’s terrible.
“We often discuss the need for investment, but even with investments, the situation deteriorates. This indicates that the problem lies more in leadership and the commitment to address the issue rather than just money,” Boakye noted.
Source: Ghanaweb