Information Minister responds to Mahama’s misinformation on energy debts

The Minister of Information, Madam Fatimatu Abubakar, has refuted claims from former President John Dramani Mahama that government owed Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to the tune of two billion dollars.In an interview with the media in Accra, Madam Abubakar stated that reliable statistics from the IPPs revealed that the government owed them one billion dollars for power supply.She said the government had reached an agreement with five out of the seven IPPs to restructure the debts owed them to ensure regular power supply.The Government, the minister said, had also agreed with five of the IPPs to restructure the Power Purchase Agreements and that it was working tirelessly to address the shortfalls in power supply.'The government is making frantic efforts to provide adequate funding for the energy sector to ensure regular power supply…so that VRA, ECG and GRIDCo will get enough power for transmission,' the Minister assured.Meanwhile, as part of efforts to decentralise government's communication an d inform the citizenry about the projects it had implemented, Madam Abubakar said her Ministry would embark on regional townhall meetings and exhibitions across the country, starting from the end of July.The townhall meetings, she said, would bring onboard regional and sector ministers and key government appointees to answer questions from journalists and community members on government projects.The issues to be discussed at such meetings would include roads, health, education, water and sanitation infrastructure, and any other issue bothering the community or the region.The regional townhall meetings and exhibitions would help to ensure transparency and accountability regarding government projects and take feedback to the presidency.Source: Ghana News Agency