Minority Demand Breakdown of $34m Cost Involved In Relocating Ameri Deal

The Minority in Parliament has demanded that government provides a breakdown of the $34 million it said is the cost of relocating the Ameri deal.

A member of the Energy Committee in Parliament, Edward Bawa disclosed that government said the relocation of the deal would cost the state an amount of $34 million.

This, he said was revealed after the Mines and Energy committee met with a number of Agencies in the Mines and Energy sector over the weekend.

According to Edward Bawa, the transaction must be halted as the economy is currently facing a huge crisis.

“As a Minority, we demand the breakdown of this cost, particularly when the country is having difficulties paying salaries and servicing our debt. The Energy sector is under serious challenges and therefore such opaque transactions must be halted in the supreme interest of every Ghanaian,” he noted.

The Bongo MP stressed that “answers were not forthcoming” when the Minority demanded details of the transaction at the meeting.

According to the legislator, “the company contracted to carry out the relocation of the plant is mytilineous international trading company, the same company that was involved in the novation and amendment of the Ameri contract that almost swindled Ghanaians but for the vigilance of the Minority.”

In March last year, the government disclosed its decision to relocate the Ameri Plant located at Aboadze to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region to help stabilise the national grid.

Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu while presenting the 2021 Budget Statement in Parliament stated that although the country experienced adequate power generation capacity in 2020, this decision to relocate the Ameri Plant along with the completion of other power projects will help stabilise Ghana’s power supply.

“Mr Speaker, in 2020, the country had adequate generation capacity to meet the demand for domestic, commercial and industrial customers…In 2021, the Ameri Plant will be relocated to Kumasi to help stabilise the national grid”.

Source: myjoyonline