Senior staff of the Volta River Authority (VRA) have staged a protest at Parliament, demanding the immediate withdrawal of proposed bills aimed at merging the VRA and the Bui Power Authority.
This demonstration follows assurances from the Minister of State at the Energy Ministry, Herbert Krapah, that the government would no longer pursue the bills.
However, the VRA staff remain adamant that the merger plan must be abandoned entirely.
Concerns over privatization
The VRA staff argue that the proposed merger is a disguised attempt to privatize the assets of both the VRA and Bui Power Authority.
Although the bills have not yet been officially laid before Parliament, the VRA Senior Staff Association insists they must be completely withdrawn.
Petitions to govt leaders
Addressing the press in Parliament, Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, Chairman of the VRA Senior Staff Association, expressed serious concerns about the proposed energy bills.
He revealed that petitions have been sent to key government figures, including the President, Vice President, Chief of Staff, and the Speaker of Parliament.
All 275 Members of Parliament have also received copies of the petition, urging them to reject the bills.
VRA’s efficiency and economic impact
Ahia emphasized that the VRA is a highly efficient and reliable energy provider, producing the cheapest electricity in Ghana.
He stressed that merging the VRA with Bui Power Authority would not benefit the country.
“The VRA is a national security asset,” Ahia noted, adding that it plays a crucial role in protecting the economy and ensuring energy security.
He also criticized the plan to separate VRA’s thermal assets and potentially offer them to private investors, saying it is not in the best interest of the country.
Energy sector’s financial health
Ahia warned that the proposed merger would only worsen the financial challenges in the energy sector, particularly highlighting the debt owed by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to the VRA.
He noted that ECG’s debt to the VRA currently stands at over GH₵2 billion, and its debt to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) exceeds $1.5 billion.
Call for Parliament to Reject the Bills
The VRA Senior Staff Association is urging Members of Parliament to reject the merger bills, arguing that the proposed changes will not lead to improved efficiency or reduced electricity costs, as claimed.
Instead, the association believes the merger would jeopardize energy security and further burden the country’s economy.
He further alleged that the real objective of the bills is to facilitate the sale of VRA’s thermal assets to private individuals.
Mr Ahia also highlighted the growing influence of IPPs in Ghana’s energy sector, stating; “Currently, I can tell you that the IPPs in this country produce about over 50% of our energy needs of these states. I don’t know how many of you have heard that Sunon Asogli has shut down.
“They have taken over 560 megawatts of electricity from our national grid. It means that they have taken the country to task and this is going to impact negatively on our economy.”
