Government Modified Initial PDS Contract for BNP – Minority Cabals

General News of Thursday, August 1, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-08-01

The minority in Parliament has accused the Akufo-Addo administration of falsifying the initial agreement with the Power Compact II to entrust the management of the Ghana Electricity Company (ECG) to substitutes for the new patriotic party. (MPN).

"This project was expected to significantly improve access to electricity, ensure operational efficiency, transform ECGs, increase their profitability, and ensure a sustainable, reliable and resilient energy supply to the right population of Ghana," he said. Former Vice Minister of Energy, John Jinapor.

He said the process, which had started under the NDC in a very transparent and competitive manner, had resulted in the selection of six pre-qualified companies both through the price request stage and through the application process. step of the RFP.

'Unfortunately, however … when entering the Akufo-Addo administration under the pretext of alleged involvement in local content, the government deliberately modified the initial agreement so as to open up the way to contracts to be awarded to a group of companies that have no experience in the energy sector, "he said at a press conference held Thursday in Accra.

"This cabal … the revealed critical investigations are not experienced in the electricity sector, but rather by a group of friends, palates and apparatchiks of NPP parties contrary to the objectives objectives and initial aspirations of the program. "

Minority accusations result from government suspension of Power Distribution Services (PDS) implementation of Power Pact Agreement

PDS took control of ECG on March 1 after its main shareholder, the Philippine consortium Meralco, won the United States Millennium Challenge Power Compact Two.

However, just over four months after the takeover, the government suspended the contract after "detecting fundamental and substantial breaches of the PDS obligation to provide payment guarantees (on-demand guarantees) for the transaction, which had been discovered during subsequent checks. "

According to the Jinapor, the suspension by the government of the implementation of the agreement is the "biggest scandal" ever recorded in the country's electricity sector.

"This corrupt and insensitive government has visited another case similar to Boakye Agyarko-Ameri with the award of an ECG to his buddies," he said.

Dent in Parliament

The member for Bongo, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said that the suspension of the concession agreement with PDS had severely undermined Parliament's ability to diligently review the agreements.

According to him, the rush with which the agreement was pbaded by the House of Laws was a clear indication that the agreement was prepared from the beginning for someone.

"Everything that has been done has been done in a hurry for the sole purpose of cooking it for someone."

"So, I'm just trying to show that if you look at all this and then get up today, you hear that the insurers or perhaps the guarantee of the guarantors were obtained fraudulently, it's an embarrbadment to the country. Two, I think it's a serious embarrbadment for Parliament, "he said in an interview with Starr News on Wednesday.

Calls to prohibition

Professor Agyemang Duah, a former UN adviser on governance, instructed President Akufo-Addo to name and punish those responsible for his government's culpable dealership agreement between the PDS and the government. 39; ECG.

According to him, the suspension of the agreement by the government a few months later is an indication of the poor work done.

"If the government had the courage to suspend the contract, it should have the same courage to mention those behind the contract and let them face the law. Those who are guilty should be investigated and the necessary steps should be taken after investigations, "he told Morning Starr's facilitator, Francis Abban, on Thursday.

In addition, the African Center for Energy Policies (ACEP) has called for an immediate ban on the leaders of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), the agency responsible for implementing the Power Compact in Ghana.

But another think tank on energy, the Institute of Energy Security, has a different view of MiDA's role in the failed PDS deal.

Mikdad Mohammed, research and policy badyst at the institute, told Starr News, but for the pro-activity of MiDA, Ghanaians would have been completely ripped off.