It’s troubling gov’t has paid only 24% of money owed Sunon Asogli this year — Armah-Kofi Buah

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Deputy Minority Leader of Parliament has slammed the government's mismanagement of the energy sector.

This follows the country's largest independent power producer Sunon Asogli announced an indefinite shutdown due to unpaid bills.

The Ellembele MP who served as Minister of Energy and Petroleum in the erstwhile John Mahama administration from 2013 to 2016 said it was "quite troubling" that Sunon Asogli Power plant had only been paid 24% of its invoices for the whole year.

“No IPP can operate viably and sustainably under these circumstances,” he stated, adding, “The debts keep piling up by the day, as the threat of a power crisis continues to loom large.”

Sunon Asogli, which supplies around 20% of Ghana's power, halted operations this week citing outstanding payments yet to be made by the state.

Though the company has now reversed the decision, its proposed shutdown was seen as a major blow to the country's electricity supplies.

He said funds collected through the Energy Sector Levy have been "misapplied", worsening the financial challenges being faced by power producers.

Armah Kofi Buah called on the government to "demonstrate humility and leadership" by urgently addressing payments owed independent producers.

Failure to do so risked plunging Ghana into total darkness, warned the former Minister.