Boakye Agyarko blasts John Jinapor; says he is ‘shallow minded’

Former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko has denied claims by the former Deputy Minister of Power under Mahama administration that he instructed Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to use "illegal back door activity" to increase electricity tariffs after PURC had gazetted the approved tariffs.

According to John Jinapor, bulk generation tariff, which comprises Volta River Authority (VRA) charges and Independent Power Producers (IPP) rates, was pegged at a composite figure of 42.9 pesewas per kilowatt hour by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in the gazetted tariffs released in March 2018.

The gazette, he said, was “in accordance with Act 538 of the PURC Act, as the PURC is the only entity mandated to gazette tariffs and ensure that it is passed on to consumers”.

Mr. Jinapor, however, stated that after perusing ECG's work plan which is before Parliament he realized that the figure had been increased by 33% to an amount of 52.7 pesewas per kilowatt hour.

"The Minority picked intelligence that the “illegal backdoor activity” was undertaken “on the instructions of the Ministry of Energy during the tenure of Mr. Boakye Agyarko," he claimed.

But responding to the allegations in a form of text message, Boakye Agyarko indicated his displeasure about what he described as pure lies against him by Mr Jinapor.

He could not fathom why the legislator who knows very well that tariff setting is done by the PURC could peddle such falsehoods about him.

"I am really surprised at his shallowness. In the process of tariff setting various parties come and make a case to PURC and they can accept or reject various claims. I will be surprised if he does not know this to be the process. PURC in its published judgement explained why they were rejected," he said.

"Apart from trying to malign me, where is the proof that I gave such instructions and to who? After all, it is PURC that sets the tariffs," he stated.