Plans are underway to relocate the Ameri Power Plant to Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital after Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Ameri Energy expired in January, 2021.
The relocation of the power plant to Kumasi is to stabilize the national grid and it will kick-off immediately after the conclusion of the audit process.
The select committee on energy and mines in its reports on the 2021 draft annual budget estimates of the Ministry has revealed this.
The Committee urged the Ministry to ensure that the audit process is extensive and covers tax obligations of the company so that Ghana is not short-changed and that will “pave way for the transfer of the power plant to the Government of Ghana in line with the terms of the Agreement”.
“The Ministry indicated that reconciliation of the outstanding debt has been completed and about 90 percent of the Government’s financial obligations under the Agreement have been settled by the Ministry of Finance. An Independent Engineer has also been hired to conduct an audit on the power plant after which the remaining 10% financial obligation will be settled in order for the country to assume full ownership”.
The House subsequently, adopted the report and approved an amount of Eight Hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Sixty-Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Six Ghana Cedis (GH¢854,062,706.0) for the services of the Ministry of Energy for the year ending 31st December 2021.
Story filed by Edzorna Francis Mensah
