Parliament in Darkness Over GH₵23m Debt to ECG

-

A power outage disrupted the parliamentary session on Thursday, February 29, during parliament's discussions on President Akufo-Addo's recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).

While debating, Abena Osei-Asare, the outgoing Deputy Minister for Finance, was defending the President's address when the room suddenly went dark, accompanied by chants of "Dumsor, dumsor!" from the Minority wing.


Following a brief interruption, power was promptly restored. It was later revealed that the reason for the sudden disruption was a disconnection due to Parliament owing GH¢23 million to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

Reportedly, the ECG taskforce took action as a consequence of the outstanding arrears left unsettled by the House, extending its impact to the office complex for Members of Parliament, notably Job 600.

This incident unfolded at a time when many Ghanaians are grappling with erratic power supply issues. Earlier that day, the Minority in Parliament expressed concerns over the recurrent power outages, interpreting them as harbingers of a deepening crisis within the nation's energy sector.


Addressing the House, Minority Spokesperson on Mines and Energy, John Jinapor, attributed the power disruptions to the government's alleged incapacity to procure fuel required for the operation of the thermal power plants across the country.

Mr. Jinapor underscored the escalating frequency of load-shedding episodes attributed to the operational limitations of the power generation companies. He highlighted a significant power deficit of 530 megawatts on February 28, resulting in power cuts affecting neighboring countries like Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo.


Expressing concern over the operational deficiencies in the thermal plants, Mr. Jinapor pointed out the constraints faced by the government in acquiring sufficient fuel reserves, consequently impairing power generation capabilities.

He urged for greater government transparency and communications to empower citizens with essential information for planning amidst the prevailing energy challenges, advocating for a more proactive and informative approach to address the ongoing energy crisis.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GJA Calls For Media Blacklist on Yendi MP for Allegedly Assaulting Journalist

-
Image
In response to allegations of assault against Mohammed Aminu M. Alabira, the Northern Regional Correspondent for Citi TV, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has called for a national media boycott of Farouk Aliu Mahama, the Member of Parliament for Yendi. Important industry actors have endorsed the GJA's directive: the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), and the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA). Related To This: Hawa Koomson Threatens to Sue GJA President Over Assault Allegations The coalition asked all media outlets to uphold Farouk Aliu Mahama's blacklisting till further notice during a joint press conference on Tuesday, February 6. The media professionals were put at serious risk due to the MP's purported connections to those who could potentially pose a threat to journalists. The groups emphasized, "All media houses must refrain from providing any coverage, interviews, or a
Read more

Taxes Now Serve as Punishment to Businesses - Mark Badu-Aboagye

-
Image
The Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry's CEO, Mark Badu-Aboagye, has expressed grave concerns about the growing burden of direct and indirect taxes placed on the country's enterprises.  During an open discussion on JoyNews' PM Express, Mr. Badu-Aboagye brought attention to the mounting difficulties that businesses are facing in light of rising expenses and financial commitments, especially with regard to tax responsibilities. Related To This: Akufo-Addo's Imposed Tax Policies Will Make The Next President Suffer - Franklin Cudjoe Mr. Badu-Aboagye expressed his dismay and emphasized the unsettling consequences of the existing tax structure, describing it as harsh and onerous for companies aiming for expansion and sustainability.  He underlined, saying, "I believe that rather than helping businesses, our taxes now serve as a punishment to them. This is because they expect you to pay, but we are unable to. They are beating us but they are telling us to keep quiet.&
Read more

Use Emission Tax Funds to Support EPA - Professor Kofi Amegah

-
Image
The University of Cape Coast's renowned environmental and nutritional epidemiology lecturer, Professor Kofi Amegah, has suggested that money from emission levies be used to support environmental protection organizations.  During his February 1 appearance on The Pulse on JoyNews, Professor Amegah emphasized how vital it is to improve the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) capacity to efficiently track pollution levels and strengthen environmental conservation measures. Related To This: Implementation of Emissions Levy Act Commences Today Professor Amegah emphasized the need to reallocate a portion of the proceeds from the emission tax in order to relieve the EPA's budgetary constraints, given its limited resources. He highlighted that such support would enable the acquisition of reference-based monitors, which, when installed in urban areas, can furnish essential data vital for formulating effective air pollution control policies. Additionally, the resulting data would
Read more