Ghana’s Ministry of Energy has responded to claims by the country’s main opposition NDC that the country’s energy sector is struggling because it has been poorly managed by the Akufo-Addo administration.
According to the Ministry, the energy sector has been better managed by the current administration contrary to the opposition’s claims.
Responding to claims made by the former Deputy Minister for Power under the John Mahama administration, Head of Communication at the Ministry, Nana Kofi Oppong-Damoah rather blamed the NDC for the financial woes of the energy sector.
Speaking on an Accra-based Citi FM, Mr Damoah said a US$500 million dollar take-or-pay contract with Independent Power Producers signed by the John Mahama administration is rather draining the sector.
“The country’s energy sector is very functional and we are doing well. I would have been very happy if they (NDC) had mounted the platform and said that the current Ministry is getting it wrong, [because they] do not understand the current structure and explain it to the people of Ghana in a very eloquent structure that they have done that this was the strategy and this is why it makes sense, but, no such thing was done. As we speak, they claim that debts are mounting but they should remember that they are contributing US$500 million every year to that debt stock,” Nana Damoah explained.
Nana Damoah also dared the opposition party’s Minority to sue the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) if they believe the corporation allegedly condoned illegality by procuring loans without parliamentary approval.
Mr Damoah threw the challenge in response to John Abu Jinapor’s claim that the GNPC between 2017 and 2019 procured loans amounting to US$1 billion without parliamentary approval.
“This is entirely absurd and again let me put out these facts. In this country, as we stand, if indeed GNPC has been allowed to borrow US$1 billion without parliamentary approval, then, as parliamentarians, they sit down and let this go on then it tells you the kind of parliamentarians that we have.
“The fact that they are Members of Parliament; they make a claim that these loans did not even come to Parliament as they should have. Nothing stops them from going to court and asking the Supreme Court to declare that GNPC has condoned an illegality. If you haven’t done this and you mount political platforms to make allegations then it is needless,” he stated.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s main opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the President Akufo-Addo-led government of mismanaging the West African nation’s power sector despite the quantum of resources bequeathed to them by the erstwhile John Mahama administration.
According to the opposition, the mismanagement of the power sector is what has resulted in the sector being saddled with huge indebtedness to the tune of GHS15 billion.
The party accused the Akufo-Addo administration of failing to credit the former government.
“Let me put on record that President Mahama comprehensively solved frequent power outages, locally termed as ‘dumsor’. It was generational problem but he took the bull by the horn and fixed the problem.”
At a public forum addressed by the former Deputy Minister for Power, John Jinapor dared the ruling government to turn off all the past government’s power plants and the gas processing plants and see if Ghana would not return to the era of power crisis.
According to him, the NPP government’s claim that the country has excess power capacity charges is nothing but a ruse to create another avenue to fleece the ordinary Ghanaian.
“Documents presented by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which is the sole off-taker to these Power Purchasing Agreements to Parliament, only ended up betraying the insincerity on the part of the Finance Minister. The facts point to a completely different picture,” he said.
Jinapor mentioned that typical of the NPP, whilst government officials were busy complaining about what they described as cost arising from excess capacity, a new company by name Stratcon Energy was being incorporated in 2017.
He said the company later received huge payments from revenues raised under the guise of paying for excess capacity.
The former Deputy Energy Minister was of the view that, though the current state of energy sector looks gloomy, should Ghanaians vote for the NDC, it would adopt prudent and pragmatic steps to revive the power sector governance culture.
“We will increase generation further to meet all suppressed demand, including giving incentives in heavy industries such as aluminum, iron and steel smelting,” he assured.
“We will continue to develop more sustainable power sources and encourage power conservation. We will ensure massive investment in the distribution sector to enhance capacity and also improve the technical and operational efficiency of utilities. To achieve this, we will work to reduce aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses, ensure a transparent and fair billing system, roll out smart metering systems across the country, eliminating bottlenecks associated with acquisition of meters and electricity connectivity for prospective customers,” he said.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), to cooperate on sustainable energy in the context of urban development.
IRENA’s studies show that cities are responsible for 65 per cent of global energy demand and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change data shows cities are responsible for 71-76 per cent of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.
As such, high-level cooperation to support municipal governments in their energy transition is crucial.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera and UN-Habitat Deputy Executive Director Victor Kisob signed the MoU during the Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The MoU will see the two organisations work to advance the role of cities in the global energy transformation whilst promoting cleaner, low-carbon urbanisation.
“Cities are the engines of modern economic growth, supporting prosperity and opportunity, and are also a source of significant energy demands and of carbon emissions,” IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said.
“In the pursuit of climate and sustainable development goals, municipal governments have an opportunity to strengthen policy frameworks that can help cities shift to renewable energy use. Cities can significantly contribute to the achievement of global energy transformation objectives and this partnership will help accelerate that process.”
IRENA and UN-Habitat have been working together for several years by sharing expertise in different occasions. Commenting on this, UN-Habitat Deputy Executive Director Victor Kisob said: “The signing of this MoU is one of the many testaments of UN reforms to advance synergy and partnership. We are happy to strengthen our partnership with IRENA for a more sustainable energy future.”
The cooperation agreed upon by the MoU covers among others the exchange of relevant information, expertise, and viewpoints in order to realise potential synergies, enhance public dialogue, and implement common positions.
Under this MoU, both IRENA and UN-Habitat hope to be at the forefront of the global efforts to achieve sustainable urban development.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation and oil major ExxonMobil have announced the execution of a unique commercial enabling agreement for drilling services in the Guyana-Suriname Basin.
The agreement defines contract terms for the continuation of drilling services using certain drilling units in Noble’s fleet.
The ultra-deepwater drillships Noble Bob Douglas, Noble Tom Madden, and Noble Don Taylor, which are currently executing drilling assignments for ExxonMobil offshore Guyana, are included in the framework agreement, and other drilling rigs may be added to the agreement.
The Noble Bob Douglas is located on the Liza Phase I field development project, while the Noble Tom Madden and Noble Don Taylor are assigned to exploration drilling in the region.
Under the deal, the beginning of initial term for the Noble Tom Madden drillship is set for December 2020 with a duration of three years.
The Noble Bob Douglas will start in March 2021 for half a year and Noble Don Taylor in November 2020.
The agreement provides for allocation of six additional years dependent on future development decisions and government approvals, as well as the potential for incremental contract term, or rigs as required.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Noble Corporation Julie J. Robertson, stated, “The Guyana-Suriname basin stands as one of the world’s premier offshore exploration and development opportunities. Since establishing an operating presence offshore Guyana in March 2018 with the Noble Bob Douglas, we have continued to expand our footprint in the region.”
“The commercial enabling agreement with ExxonMobil takes our regional position a step further, as we benefit from multi-year contract visibility and utilization allocated across three of our premium drillships. This attractive commercial model secures current market pricing dynamics on six-month intervals and important operational economies of scale, and, importantly, the agreement can cover additional Noble drilling rigs. We are honored to strengthen our relationship with ExxonMobil and to have a significant role in this prolific region, which will continue to contribute to the growing need for advanced offshore drilling technology and solutions.”
The Noble Bob Douglas, Noble Tom Madden, and Noble Don Taylor are each Gusto P-10000 design ultra-deepwater drillships capable of operating in water depths of up to 12,000 feet.
The rigs, which started operations during 2013 and 2014, are equipped with advanced drilling systems, and redundant subsea control technology and station-keeping systems.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Oil and gas company Neptune Energy has signed an operated exploration license with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) for Egypt’s North West El Amal offshore concession.
Neptune said on Wednesday that the signing underlines the company’s commitment to growing its presence in North Africa, an important region for the business.
Neptune will acquire 100 km2 of 3D seismic data and drill one exploration well in the first phase, with two further wells planned in phase two.
The North West El Amal Offshore concession covers 365 km2 and is located in the central part of the Gulf of Suez, approximately 42 km south of Ras Gharib and 105 km north of Hurghada.
The signing ceremony was held on Wednesday at the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS) and was attended by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Eng. Tarek El Molla, CEO of EGPC, Abed Ezz El Regal; Neptune Energy’s CEO Jim House, VP North Africa & Asia Pacific Philip Lafeber and Egypt Managing Director Gamal Kassem.
Neptune CEO, Jim House, said: “Our strategy is to invest and grow our presence in Egypt which is an important market for Neptune. We are committed to strengthening our presence in North Africa through exploration and production activities.
“This is another important step for Neptune in the region and we’re pleased to build on our strong relationships with our partners and with the Ministry.”
Egypt Managing Director of Neptune Energy, Gamal Kassem, added: “The Gulf of Suez provides many promising prospects and we look forward to working closely with EGPC to grow Neptune’s business in Egypt.”
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
South African trade union, Solidarity has kicked against the decision by the government to finance the country’s power utility company ESKOM from Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF).
It has, thus, initiated a legal process to stop the decision.
According to the union, it has written a letter to the GEPF as well as the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), and it is demanding that the Trustees and the Board of these institutions should not accept the controversial plan to finance Eskom from the Fund.
In the letter, Solidarity called the Trustees’ attention to their fiduciary duties. The union also pointed out that individual trustees and board members will also be held personally liable for damages if they do not fulfil their fiduciary duty.
“The mandate of the GEPF and the PIC is to act in the best interest of the client. The board members and the trustees may not be influenced by the political agreements of other mandate givers. If goals other than the best investment return for the pension fund member are pursued, they would be unlawful,” the union said as reported by esi-africa.com.
According to Solidarity, if President Cyril Ramaphosa makes such an announcement in his State of the Nation address, it will have an undue influence on the mandate of the GEPF and the PIC. A political gun against the heads of the GEPF and the PIC will mean the decision will not be voluntary; it will be enforced.
According to the Solidarity letter, any step or action to use employees’ pensions to save Eskom or any other state enterprise would fall outside the mandate of the GEPF and the PIC, and it will also be a breach of the contractual agreement with the members of the fund.
“In no way can an investment in a totally insolvent enterprise be in the best interest of the pension fund member,” underlined the union.
Solidarity’s Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann, said “the trustees’ mandate is not to solve the country’s major socio-economic challenges. Nor is it their task to stimulate economic growth to create possible secondary benefit for pension fund members. Their mandate is to see to it that there is a primary benefit.”
Solidarity stated that it is aware of resistance to the controversial pension plan from several other unions.
“We will support every action against the plan that any other union comes up with. We need to attack the plan from as many angles as possible.”
The union also announced that it has budgeted sufficient funds for campaigns and litigation should government proceed with any other steps to use pension funds to finance other ailing state enterprises.
“We, therefore, do not only act in the interests of government officials but in the interests of all who are members of a pension fund,” stated Solidarity.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
General Electric (GE) has hosted women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at a roundtable discussion to advance mentorship and leadership for female students at the Institute of National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INPHB) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa.
The session was led by four leaders in energy with exemplary resumés and combined decades of wisdom.
They included Kristin Carvell, Global Communications Leader, GE Gas Power; Kadidjatou Diallo, Managing Director, La Compagnie Ivoirienne de Production d’Electricité (CIPREL), Aphi Amoussou Nanan, Director of Generation, CI ENERGIES; and Bethel Nwaneri, Chief People Officer for GE Gas Power Sub Saharan Africa.
Participants discussed all things STEM including, why they chose a career in STEM, the value they feel it brings to our communities, and advice they would give to young women seeking to enter the field.
The roundtable discussion also focused on highlighting the need for strategic initiatives to sustain women in STEM-related careers to advocate for more diversity in energy and technology sectors and how this era of accelerated technological progress characterised by new innovations create a greater sense of urgency for companies to tap into the entire technical talent pool to realise sustainable, competitive advantage.GE has been a committed partner in diversity, inclusion and skills development in Ivory Coast.
In 2018, GE Power partnered with INPHB in Yamoussoukro to train engineering students.
During a six-month period, selected Ivorian students participated in technical and English Language proficiency internships at the GE Ghana office giving them exposure and training to ensure they can compete in the rapidly evolving global market.
Most recently, GE commissioned an English Language technology laboratory for the institution.
Speaking at the roundtable, Bethel Nwaneri, Chief People Officer for GE Gas Power Sub Saharan Africa, said that the initiative was a continuation of the ongoing partnership between GE and Ivory Coast aimed at investing in technical skills and talent particularly for women.
“Companies that seek to change the world should reflect the world. Beyond skills and talent development, mentorship is also important in increasing the representation of women in engineering, manufacturing, IT and product management roles. This is not just the right thing to do; it’s a necessary strategy to inject urgency into recruiting more women for technical roles.
“Our goal is to inspire the next generation of leaders and cultivate lasting interest in STEM careers,” she added.
GE is a historical player and a pioneer in the power sector in Ivory Coast.
The roundtable reflects GE’s commitment to building on the company’s strong presence in the region and continue to provide value for its customers.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
A former Deputy Minister for Power under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress administration, John Jinapor has described as false claims that the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) cannot refine crude oil from the country’s oil fields.
According to him, during the erstwhile NDC administration led by Mr John Dramani Mahama, an arrangement was made for TOR to process crude oil from Ghana’s oil fields.
“Our belief in accelerated development through value addition led us to reposition BOST and TOR. We, further, secured two million barrels of Ghana’s crude oil from the TEN fields to be processed by TOR.
“Unfortunately and sadly, our sterling performance in the oil and gas sector have been derailed by the incompetent, greedy and corrupt Akufo-Addo government and his cabal of family and friends.”
Speaking at a public forum organised by the opposition party, NDC, in reaction to the governing party’s Town Hall programme on Tuesday, the Yapei Kusawgu legislator said if NDC gets the opportunity to return to power, it would ensure that TOR is retooled.
“We shall also ensure value addition by resourcing, retooling and repositioning TOR to refine the crude oil for domestic consumption,” he stated.
He accused the governing party of engaging in some deals for their parochial interest.
According to him, in 2017, the NPP formed a company known as Stratcom Energy and till date, it delivers most of Ghana’s petroleum products.
“First of all, petroleum products or petrol or diesel or LC is a pass through, so it has nothing to do with capacity charges. And because of the regulation that we implemented, we are dealing with all forex losses. Do you know what they did? They took GHc300 million out of this money under the guise of capacity charges,” he explained.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s strategic oil stock keeping company, Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company, is on its way to becoming attractive to investors following its ability to fully settle a 12-year-old GHc64 million credit facility contracted from the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB).
The loan sourced from GCB in 2008 has attracted several penalties from the bank.
However, Managing Director of BOST, Edwin Nii Obodai Provencal has revealed that his outfit made the final payment of about GHc1.7million last month.
The company is now left with the US$60 million trade debt & Stanchart’s GHc100 million to settle.
“In 2017, when we came to power, we engaged GCB and the good news was that they waived off all penalties and other charges etc, with the promise that they were going to stick to our payment plan. So, that is what we have been doing since 2017, and the good news is that the last bit was cleared last month January. So, we have finished clearing the GCB debt,” Mr Provencal said.
He continued that “we are extremely excited. What this does is that it cleans our balance sheet. It contributes to our balance sheet so we can leverage it to borrow for our operations. We assure that going forward, any other facility we get, we will use a much-disciplined approach to get it.”
According to Mr Provencal, it would take an amount of US$150 million to turn around the operations of the company.
Making a case for the amount, Mr Provencal said about US$75 million of the funds would be used to upgrade and rehabilitate the company’s infrastructure and the other half would be deployed as working capital.
According to him, the new funding would make the company economically viable and lead to the payment of dividend to the government within the next two to three years.
Mr Provencal explained that the needed funds could come from an increase in the BOST margin in the petroleum product price build-up, the government’s support or funding from investors.
He noted that should the option of BOST margin be implemented, it would result in the immediate increase in the prices of fuel, but would in the medium-to-long term, be of great benefit to consumers as BOST’s effectiveness would reduce the price at the pumps.
Mr Provencal said the capital injection would enable the company move from its current state of loss-making and low capitalisation to a profit-making and dividend-paying company.
Source:www.energynewsafrica.com
Liberia’s Electricity Corporation (LEC) has announced that it will begin nationwide load shedding exercise from tomorrow, February 12, 2020.
According to the Corporation, it has to resort to load shedding due to poor rainfall pattern which has reduced water inflow into the 64megawatts Mt. Coffee Hydroelectric Dam.
In a press release, LEC said the situation has forced them to use the more costly Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) to generate at Bushrod Station.
LEC had hoped that this dry season’s demand would be met by excess power purchased from Cote d’Ivoire and delivered over the new CLSG line.
However, connection to the CLSG regional grid has been delayed to April 2020.
To mitigate this delay LEC has announced a number of measures including disconnecting non-paying large customers and thereby reduce load, Gone to International tender for HFO, to ensure the best priced fuel and currently negotiating a Bank Loan to fund a reduced quantity of HFO.
Despite these actions LEC remains unable to fund all necessary HFO. This being the case, LEC cannot avoid Load Shedding.
“To ensure that electricity is as widely available as possible and to minimize the impact on customers, LEC will begin Load Shedding Operations from February 12th 2020; this is likely to continue throughout the dry season.
Since the Mt.Coffee generation situation changes on a daily basis, LEC will adjust the level of load shedding to minimize the impact on customers while conserving fuel.
“LEC apologizes for any inconvenience to its customers and the general public,” the statement said.
Load-Shedding-TimetableSource: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s power distribution company, Electricity Company of Ghana, will on February 18, 2020 launch a mobile application to enable its customers to buy prepaid credit via mobile phones directly without having to visit any sales points.
Vice President of the West African nation Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, dropped the hint at a Town Hall Meeting in the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi on Tuesday.
He said the mobile app would help to eliminate the stress ECG customers go through in getting prepaid credit particularly, at night.
“You can buy units for others as well,” he said, adding that “now people will be calling you to buy credit for them.”
Dr Bawumia said the government’s resolve to digitise Ghana’s economy was to do away with all inefficiencies and corruption in the system.
That, he added, would help Ghana to reap the benefits of digitisation, saying “Digitisation is going to reduce a lot of inefficiency and corruption.”
Source: www.energynewsafrica.comSource: www.energynewsafrica.com
Norwegian oil exploration and production firm, Aker Energy has awarded a geotechnical and geophysical survey services contract to oil and gas services provider, Fugro Ghana Ltd, for the Pecan field.
The contract is in preparation for the commencement of first oil production from the Pecan field holds between 450Mmboe and 550Mmboe.
The Pecan field is an oil and gas field located offshore Ghana in the Gulf of Guinea. The field lies in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points block (DWT/CT), which is jointly owned by Aker Energy (50%, operator), Lukoil (38%), Fueltrade (2%) and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (10%).
The Pecan field was earlier owned by Hess and acquired by Aker Energy’s subsidiary Aker Energy Ghana in June 2018. First oil from the field is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021.
In a press statement posted on the company’s website, Aker Energy said the contract involves surveying services from two state-of-the-art vessels for a 10-week period, starting in March, as well as laboratory testing post operations.
The geotechnical vessel, Fugro Scout, is specifically designed for geotechnical operations in water depths up to 3,000 metres for both drilling and seabed sampling and in situ testing.
The aim of the surveys is to obtain critical information about seabed and sub-seabed conditions to facilitate the planning and emplacement of the Pecan subsea field and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) ship.
Commenting on the award, Senior Vice President for Projects in Aker Energy, Olav Henriksen said: “For Aker Energy, this contract is an important next step as we prepare for the ramp up of the Pecan project.
“We are both eager and excited to get started and Fugro’s services are world class, making them a natural choice to partner with,” he added.
On his part, Jaco Stemmet, Fugro’s Director for Africa, said, “This project will build on the extensive experience that our vessels and staff have gained in Ghana and the wider West Africa region, and we look forward to using this knowledge to execute a safe and successful campaign.”
As part of the contract, an emphasis has been placed on local content and capacity building in Ghana through Fugro’s Ghana office.
The shore base for the two ships will be Takoradi in the Western Region. From Fugro, at least, one surveyor trainee and one experienced surveyor will be Ghanaian and there will be local sourcing of various materials in Ghana.
In addition, a series of educational and capacity building activities will be rolled out through partnerships with Ghanaian educational institutions and the Petroleum Commission of Ghana.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Ghana’s indigenous oil marketing company, GOIL Company Limited, recorded 32 percent year-on-year growth and increased its revenue by 15 percent in 2019.
The Managing Director and Group Chief Executive, Mr Kwame Osei-Prempeh, who revealed this at a send-off party in honour of the former MD and Group CEO, Mr Patrick Akorli, in Accra, said the company prudently managed its financial costs resulting in the growth.
Mr Akorli retired from the company after 25 years of service, seven of which was in the position of Managing Director and Group Chief Executive.
Mr Osei Prempeh paid tribute to his predecessor for laying the foundation for the tremendous growth and transformation of the company, adding that the company would continue the good path chartered by Mr Akorli and ensure the consolidation of the impressive growth.
Mr. Patrick Akorli(2nd right), former Managing Director and Group CEO of GOIL COMPANY LIMITED
He also lauded the contributions of other Managing Directors whose efforts have, over the years, turned around GOIL, adding the sterling leadership qualities of Mr Akorli had shown that Ghanaians can do better and compete favourably with foreign competitors.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei Mensah, who was the Guest of Honour, described Mr Akorli as patriotic, selfless and a team player who always shared the successes of the company with the GOIL team.
The former MD, he noted, must be celebrated for helping to uplift the image of GOIL to the admiration of all.
The send-off ceremony was attended by several industry players including the CEO of NPA, Hassan Tampuli, a former MD of GOIL, Mr Yaw Agyemang-Duah, present and former Board members of GOIL, GO Energy, the Managing Director of Total Ghana, Mr Eric Fanchini, CEO of OMCs, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, Executive Director of CIMG, Mr Kwabena Agyekum, Executive Director of COPEC, Mr Duncan Amoah, National Chairman of GPRTU, Mr Kwame Kumah and GOIL’s Brand Ambassador, Prof. Azumah Nelson.Others who attended the send- off were the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Obed Akwa, former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Augustine Blay, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall F. Hanson, former Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral G.M Biekro (Rtd), Deputy Chief Fire Officer (Director of Safety) Mr Obeng Dankwa Dwamena.
Mr Akorli, who served in various management positions until he assumed the MD position in 2012, thanked President Akufo Addo and his two predecessors, the late President Mills and former President Mahama, for the congenial atmosphere created during his tenure.
He also appreciated the role of past and present Boards, Management, staff and the workers for their assistance and co-operation.
He appealed to the staff to extend the same support to the present Managing Director, Mr Kwame Osei Prempeh to help propel the company to greater heights.
The Board Chairman of GOIL, Kwamena Bartels, on behalf of the Board and Management of the company, presented gifts to Mr Akorli and thanked him for his diligent and selfless leadership that has contributed in making GOIL an enviable OMC in the country.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) in the Republic of Ghana has responded to some social media comments which seem to suggest that the Commission is failing in its mandate to protect consumers’ interests in the West African country.
“Can PURC order ECG to compensate us, even if it means giving us power with an expiry date? I think it is time for PURC to be asked the hard questions. Why do they fine utility companies and keep the money for themselves, but never order the service providers to compensate customers who suffer? Come and see how the electricity is dancing like there is some silent music playing, which only the light sources can hear. And come and see me and my son sweating because we are stuck indoors in the darkness and heat.”
#ECGMustCompensateUs#PURCreplaceFinesWithcompensation,” a customer of ECG and GWCL posted on his Facebook wall.
However, a statement released and signed by Head of Public Relations and External Affairs at the PURC, Bawah Munkaila gave instances where it had instructed either the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) or Ghana Water Company (GWC) to pay compensations to affected consumers to stamp the PURC’s authority.
Notable among such actions, according to the PURC, include “The order for Electricity of Ghana (ECG) to compensate its prepayment customers to Achimota, Korle-bu, Dansoman and Kaneshie, all in the Greater Accra West District, who suffered difficulties in vending power from December 03-12 2017.
“On the basis of the number of consumers affected within the area, a total compensation paid amounted to one million, nine hundred and twenty-seven thousand, six hundred and twenty Ghana Cedis, forty-five pesewas. (GHS 1,927,620,45),” he justified.
He said these customers were credited with some amount of electricity units as their quota for the compensation after an order was made in January 2018 by the PURC.
The PURC’s Public Relations Officer said similarly, an order was issued for the Ghana Water Company Ltd (GWL) to reduce tariffs by 10.08 percent across board for all customer categories as a result of non-compliance with tariff decision and regulatory directives in relation to the Teshie Desalination Plant, which led to a breach in section 11 of the Public Utilities Regulatory Act 1997 (Act 538).
He explained that cost of operating the plant was included in the tariff for GWCL but was not being operated and, therefore, water customers were paying more than they were supposed to pay.
He said that this 10.08 percent reduction in GWCL tariff was to serve as forfeiture, if the component of tariff related to the Operation Desalination plant, refund of over-recovered tariff income and compensation to GWCL customers were not complied with.
Based on this order, he said GWCL refunded a total of fourteen million and ninety-seven thousand, one hundred and forty-six (GHS 14.097, 146.00) to all its customers.
He added that that amount represented five months of tariff income unfairly over-recovered by GWCL between March 15, 2018 and September 15, 2018.
With reference to undue charges, the PURC’s response said the GWCL paid to its customers an amount totaling five hundred and forty-two thousand, thirty-eight cedis, forty-eight Ghana Cedis (542,938.48).
Furthermore, Mr Munkaila stated that the Commission ordered that customers be refunded in a form of adjustments on their bills due to wrongful billing and it amounted to a total of one million, six hundred and sixty-four thousand and thirty-four Ghana cedis, thirty-eight pesewas (1664,034.38) passed, and credited within the year 2019 to affected customers.
“The PURC is, therefore, committed in ensuring customer service satisfaction and also seeing to the economic viability of the utility service providers,” he assured Ghanaians.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
GE has been a committed partner in diversity, inclusion and skills development in Ivory Coast.
In 2018, GE Power partnered with INPHB in Yamoussoukro to train engineering students.
During a six-month period, selected Ivorian students participated in technical and English Language proficiency internships at the GE Ghana office giving them exposure and training to ensure they can compete in the rapidly evolving global market.
Most recently, GE commissioned an English Language technology laboratory for the institution.
Speaking at the roundtable, Bethel Nwaneri, Chief People Officer for GE Gas Power Sub Saharan Africa, said that the initiative was a continuation of the ongoing partnership between GE and Ivory Coast aimed at investing in technical skills and talent particularly for women.
“Companies that seek to change the world should reflect the world. Beyond skills and talent development, mentorship is also important in increasing the representation of women in engineering, manufacturing, IT and product management roles. This is not just the right thing to do; it’s a necessary strategy to inject urgency into recruiting more women for technical roles.
“Our goal is to inspire the next generation of leaders and cultivate lasting interest in STEM careers,” she added.
GE is a historical player and a pioneer in the power sector in Ivory Coast.
The roundtable reflects GE’s commitment to building on the company’s strong presence in the region and continue to provide value for its customers.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
Others who attended the send- off were the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Obed Akwa, former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Augustine Blay, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall F. Hanson, former Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral G.M Biekro (Rtd), Deputy Chief Fire Officer (Director of Safety) Mr Obeng Dankwa Dwamena.
Mr Akorli, who served in various management positions until he assumed the MD position in 2012, thanked President Akufo Addo and his two predecessors, the late President Mills and former President Mahama, for the congenial atmosphere created during his tenure.
He also appreciated the role of past and present Boards, Management, staff and the workers for their assistance and co-operation.
He appealed to the staff to extend the same support to the present Managing Director, Mr Kwame Osei Prempeh to help propel the company to greater heights.
The Board Chairman of GOIL, Kwamena Bartels, on behalf of the Board and Management of the company, presented gifts to Mr Akorli and thanked him for his diligent and selfless leadership that has contributed in making GOIL an enviable OMC in the country.
Source: www.energynewsafrica.com
