VRA Senior Staff Kick Against Energy Bill
Senior Staff of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Public Services Workers’ Union of Trades Union Congress, a divisional branch of the VRA are kicking against the Energy Bill laid before Parliament.
The bill seeking to merge the Volta River Authority and Bui Power Authority into a single power generation entity, currently before Parliament, has been strongly rejected by the minority caucus.
The National Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of the VRA, Theophilus Tetteh Ahia, alleged that the merger would transfer the hydro assets of these entities to a private company, resulting in higher power costs that would not benefit Ghanaians.
“We had a meeting with the Energy Minister, Hon. Herbert Krapa, and agreed to withdraw the bill because the points we have adduced in our petition are so cogent. He realized that he has to withdraw the bill. As we speak, we have been in Parliament for two days and nothing of that sort has happened,” he stated.
The National Chairman further said that, “If the thermal asset are privatised, the state would start paying capacity and availability charges for these same plants as it’s being paid to the IPPs under the take or pay arrangement which will result in high cost of power to the customer.”
The Association has advised the government to discontinue any attempt to do so because there is enough opportunity and an enabling legal environment for private participation in power generation. Therefore, there is no need to separate the VRA thermal, the only state owned participator in thermal generation, and sell to private investors.
The aggrieved staff also indicated in their petition that “the private investors suspend power supply if distribution companies and customers fail to fulfil their payment obligations on time or when operations are no longer profitable, and not well managed”.
They noted that this could lead to automatic disconnection of key strategic institutions like hospitals and schools.
“The sale, if not stopped, could lead to Ghanaians being held hostage by the private sector, ” they emphasised.
Mr. Theophilus Tetteh Ahia explained that the electricity sub-sector contributes almost 50% of the national energy supply. He stated that privatizing VRA’s thermal assets would result in handing over about 75% or more of the national energy supply to private entities, which, they claim, will have serious consequences for both the economy and national energy security.
Story by Nana Kwaku Boffah.
