The Government of Ghana has placed a moratorium on the signing of new renewable energy agreements, Energy Minister John-Peter Amewu has revealed.
According to him, the government has had to take that decision because the previous administration signed too many unnecessary deals.
Speaking to journalists after briefing Members of Parliament on Thursday on how much the government realised from Public Street Lighting Levy in 2018 and 2019, Mr Amewu said the deals signed by the previous government were at a higher price, therefore, the present government needs to re-negotiate to reduce the amount.
“The renewable energy that was signed between 2015 and 2016 was 2,665 megawatts at a price of 31 cents per kilowatts.
“And they were completely unnecessary because people [citizens] were going to pay higher,” he stated.
“But, we [government] do not want to entertain this higher renewable that is why we have placed a complete moratorium on the renewable,” he added.
He further stated that the Akufo-Addo-administration supports the use of renewable energy, however, it would prefer citizens pay a fair price for the commodity to a higher price.
“It isn’t that we [government] are anti-renewable. Today, President Akufo-Addo has directed that the Jubilee House operatie on renewable and it is 70 percent complete,” the Minister explained.
But, responding to this, the former Energy Minister, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said the agreements signed, then, were by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
He insisted that no burden had been placed on the government.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
