GWCL pays ?55 million daily for unused tanks

THE Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has petitioned the government to take up the payment of a ?3 million loan it contracted for the construction of 13 unused overhead water tanks in Accra.

It said the repayment arrangement, under which the company pays ?55 million daily, is having a terrible effect on the finances of the company.

The tanks have been sited at Ashongman village, John Teye Memorial School, Kasoa, New Achimota (Hotel de Joko), New Madina (Atraco area), Adenta Housing Down and Sakumono/Lashibi.

The rest are Teshie, Accra Girls, Tantra Hill, Nungua, Pantang and Accra Academy.

The sector minister, Mr Yaw Barimah, who confirmed this in an interview at Agomanya, said he was compelled to endorse the request of the company because the payment of the daily amount is threatening to overwhelm the company, which is already facing liquidity problems.

He said discussions are currently underway with the finance ministry to see how best the company would be salvaged.

Mr Barimah said “I intend seeing the finance minister in the course of the week and I hope some satisfactory arrangement would be reached on the issue”.

He said although most of the overhead tanks are not being used, the GWCL is compelled by the terms of the contract to pay back the loan.

Mr Barimah said the tanks are not being used to a very large extent because there are no pipelines in the areas where these tanks have been sited.

Apart from the Accra Girls, the company has not laid any pipelines in all the other areas where the tanks have been sited and are, therefore, of no relevance in the short to medium term.

He wondered how the tanks would be filled with water to serve their purpose, adding that consider-