The Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Samuel Atta-Akyea says measures are being put in place by the government to forestall a shutdown of power plants by Independent Power Producers on Saturday, July 1.
The lawmaker said the government is taking the necessary measures to prevent the dire implications of the IPPs cutting power.
Speaking to journalists in Parliament, Samuel Atta Akyea denied claims of selective payment of the GH¢1.7 billion debt owed to the IPPs.
“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concerned about the necessity that they should be paid and if you pay one, and you don’t pay the other and the power is withdrawn, what will be the consequences, and so I don’t think that the Minister of Finance will do that kind of thing of paying some and not paying others.”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.”
He also called on the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta to engage with the IPPs to clear outstanding arrears owed to the IPPs.
“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.”
