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Parliamentary review of AMERI deal “not necessary” - Mines and Energy Committee

By MyJoyOnline
Politics Parliamentary review of AMERI deal not necessary - Mines and Energy Committee
DEC 17, 2015 LISTEN

The Majority in Parliament have shot down attempts by the Minority to push for an urgent review of the AMERI power supply deal that has been embroiled in controversy.

Majority MP and Parliament’s Deputy Chair of the Mines and Energy Committee Adam Mutawakilu told Top Story’s Evans Mensah, the move is “not necessary”.

NPP MP William Owireku Aidoo had filed a motion in parliament Thursday, seeking to push for a recall of the controversial contract.

The deal which will cost Ghana more than $510 million over the next five years will result in the production of 250 megawatts of power.

But a revelation that the contract sum may be inflated by as much as $290 million has triggered a storm of public anger.

There are also contradictions in the Power minister’s claims on the cost details in the AMERI deal.

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Power minister Kwabena Donkor told the Mines and Energy Committee, the cost of constructing a platform (Civil works) to hold the power plants will be borne by government.

However the same Minister in an attempt to deny claims that the contract sum had been inflated issued a statement insisting the cost of civil work had been taken care of in the 510 million contract.

In a wake of the denial a Finance Ministry document to parliament, obtained by Joy News has also shown the government of Ghana paid for the civil works contrary to the minister's claim.

The 2015 Annual Report on the Petroleum Funds shows that government used 15.1 million cedis of the oil revenue to undertake the civil works although it had claimed that that cost will be borne by the AMERI Group.

The Minority in Parliament insists the contract must be brought back to Parliament. He made reference to the contradictory comments by the Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor.

“It is a contradiction galore,” NPP MP William Owireku stated.

The Minority filed fresh documents in parliament seeking to recall controversial AMERI power plant deal for urgent review.

The Deputy Head of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Benjamin Boakye is also convinced the AMERI deal is murky and must be relooked at.

But the Deputy Chair of the Mines and Energy Committee Adam Mutawakilu however shot down the call explaining that no part of the agreement has been breached by any of the two parties to warrant a second look.

Adam Mutawakilu said as far as his committee is concerned, they had always known that government was responsible for paying for the civil works needed to install the plant.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]

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