Atta-Akyea calls on finance minister to engage IPPs over arrears

The Chairman of Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, Samuel Atta-Akyea, has briefed journalists that the government has taken measures to prevent Independent Power Producers from shutting down their plants.

According to the lawmaker, the administration is taking the necessary steps to avoid the consequences of IPPs cutting power.

He disputed reports of selective payment of the GH1.7 billion debt owed to the IPPs.

He also urged finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta to engage with the IPPs to clear outstanding arrears owed them.

“The independent power producers are concerned about the necessity that they should be paid and if you pay one, and you don’t pay the other and the power is withdrawn, what will be the consequences, and so I don’t think that the Minister of Finance will do that kind of thing of paying some and not paying others.”

“The government is acutely aware of the implication of withdrawing power from the system and so the government is doing everything to ensure that it doesn’t come to that.”

“It is a financial matter and the Finance Minister must find a way to ensure that even if they will be met in some reasonable terms, they should do it. If you don’t have the money, but there is goodwill to pay some of the money, it will urge them to give you the power and so that is the whole point of the matter but when you take a stand against you not paying them at all, then you are trying to dare them to cut the power.”