JoyNews is learning, that the Ministry of Finance has directed the Controller and Accountant General to disburse $30 million to Independent Power Producer, Sunon Asogli under a new agreement to address the debt that caused the power plant shutdown.
The plant, a critical 560-megawatt power facility, halted operations due to the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) outstanding $259 million debt.
The shutdown raises concerns about a potential return to ‘dumsor’ with serious economic impacts on the country.
Speaking to JoyNews, the spokesperson for Sunon Asogli, Elikplim Apertogbor said that negotiation has been slow.
“Since we shutdown, we’ve been having some verbal engagement and he [Finance Minister] maintained the position that until this thing is done, he’s not willing to talk to us. So he’s not willing to attend to us. That has been his posture,” he said.
When asked what it would take to resume operations, Mr Apertogbor noted, “We have mentioned our challenge. He has countless times to make a payment to Sunon Asogli but has not hourned those obligations or those promises. He’s saying that somebody is acting in bad faith. But his is worse than that.”
But the Executive Director of the Africa Center for Energy Policy, Ben Boakye, confirmed that the Controller and Accountant General has made the $30 million payment to Sunon Asogli.
Source:Myjoyonline