The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called on the Majority in Parliament to reject the new AMERI deal because “it’s in bad faith” and also “a stab in the back” of Ghanaians.
The PPP said it finds it “mind boggling to appreciate why the New Patriotic Party government is in a hurry to renegotiate and extend beyond 15 years, a deal whose life-span will soon elapse in the next two years, after which Ghana will fully own the whole power plant.”
In a statement, the PPP noted that: “The previous deal agreed in February 2015 under the erstwhile Mahama administration with Africa and Middle East Resources Investment Group (AMERI) to Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) a power plant with 10 gas turbines producing a guaranteed output of 230MW at a cost of $510million for five years has proven to be more beneficial after 3 years than what has been proposed in parliament by the Akufo-Addo-led NPP for parliamentary approval.”
The party said the revised agreement, as it stands, will rather increase the cost of electricity and “overburden the already overburdened Ghanaian dweller for the next 15 years.”
“Why would the NPP, which claimed the previous government had been short-changed by AMERI to the tune of $150 million, turn around overnight to accept and propose another deal whose payment could only prolong the total ownership of the power plant from 5 years to beyond 15 years?” the PPP quizzed.
In the party’s view, “The least the NPP government could have done after failing to abrogate the contract was to prosecute former NDC government officials they claimed were involved in the $150 million financial loss to the state, but not to endorse another agreement that will end up being detrimental to the people and a strain on the state coffers for another 15 years to come.”
The statement further said: “What is preposterous and suspicious about the new deal is the fact that both AMERI and Mytilinoes are owned by same shareholders. The PPP is convinced that nothing could motivate the signing of this agreement apart from unbridled corruption, greed and personal aggrandisement on the part of government officials.
“Over the past two-and-a-half years, government has paid an amount of $171 million out of the $510 million to AMERI. The outstanding balance of $339 million is due to be paid over the next two-and-a-half years. Why rush into another marathon deal that will stall Ghana’s quest for a reliable energy supply for more than years?”
The PPP has, therefore, implored government to explore alternative sources of energy, like wind energy, solar energy and biomass to complement the existing traditional source.
The party further called on the “NPP Majority – with oversight responsibility to the Executive – for once, to be patriotic enough to throw this agreement out to save the little image of the August house and not appear to be a rubberstamp parliament. The Government should concentrate on paying the balance due, and free the people of Ghana from both AMERI and Mytilinoes.”
Source: Class FM
