(Ranking Member-Mines and Energy Committee) signed on 17th May, 2024.
The Minority in Parliament is keenly monitoring the state at which the energy sector has fast deteriorated under the Akufo Addo-Bawumia government.
The overall concerns of Ghanaians about the energy situation is quite unfortunate and sad. The incontrovertible fact is that every sector in the value chain is struggling to survive and maintain its balance.
Indeed, Ghana's energy sector risks a total collapse by the end of the year if nothing is done urgently to rescue the sector.
This worrying phenomenon has been corroborated by the recent press release by the senior staff of the VRA on the 12th of May, 2024.
Their statement revealed that this NPP Government officials and some industry players are not only starving VRA of the needed funding, but they are also taking a step further to cartelise and undermine the sector after sinking it into severe financial distress.
It is on record that the minority, has, for a long time pointed out to this Government on its financial mismanagement and incompetence as far as the energy sector is concerned.
Unfortunately, and as usual of the Government and it’s officials, they have deliberately turned deaf ear to our sound advice, to the extent that the monumental gains chalked under the administration of H.E President John Dramani Mahama, have been eroded significantly if not completely.
These stubborn and belligerent attitudes have ultimately triggered and given birth to the fresh and the avoidable DUMSOR Ghanaians are having to suffer and contend with since the beginning of 2024.
Sadly, despite the so-called excess capacity which the NPP government wanted to make a political capital out of, today, the Government is unable to maintain the export of power to neighbouring Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso and Cote D'Ivoire, and this is seriously undermining Ghana’s bilateral agreements and obligations under the ECOWAS protocols.
It is even more worrying to note that despite the critical role played by the VRA in the energy value chain, the Authority has so far received a paltry 32% of their total bill (GHS1,096,360,403.53), even under the Cash Waterfall Mechanism (CWM).
This blatant disregard for the provisions and dictates of the CWM has rendered VRA under-resourced, threatening the Authority’s long-term viability.
As if this is not enough, today, Ghanaians at large are shocked to hear the concerns raised by the Senior Staff Association of the VRA on the attempt of some elements in Government, planning to sell the VRA’s thermal assets at such a critical time.
The unfortunate consequence of this will be felt by Ghanaians when the Akuffo-Addo/Bawumia cronies finally capture the energy sector.
It is therefore imperative for Ghanaians to as a matter of urgency, stand up to resist any such attempt.
By this statement therefore, the Minority is calling on the government to respect and activate the provisions and conditions of the CWM without delay.
More importantly, we wish to send a strong caution to the government, its assigns and agents who are clandestinely working to cartelise the sector in order to control and make unwarranted profits from the VRA, to desist and outrightly refrain from proceeding with any such plot or face the full force of Ghanaians in due time.
We, the Minority wants to assure the Senior Staff of VRA and the workers in general of our unwavering support and commitment to their cause.
We wish to promise them that we will resist every attempt by this incompetent and inept NPP government to sell off or privatise any part of VRA to themselves.
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