Boakye-Agyarko slams Kwabena Donkor for comments on Trafigura judgment debt saga

Former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, has criticized former Minister of Power, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, and called for a comprehensive probe into the decisions made by officials from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration regarding the termination of a power purchase agreement with the Ghana Power Generating Company (GPGC).

This termination led to a $140 million judgment debt that has sparked controversy and legal battles.

Agyarko's comments are in response to statements made by Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who pointed fingers at the NPP administration for their role in the termination of the power purchase agreement.

In his response, Agyarko stated, "My attention has been drawn to some very unfortunate and ill-informed statements by Hon. Kwabena Donkor on the termination of the GPGC Power Purchase Agreement. I deem the utterances most unfortunate and irresponsible coming from a former Minister who ought to know that it is not within my power or province, or that of any Minister, to unilaterally cancel or terminate a contract of this nature."

Agyarko explained the circumstances surrounding the termination, stating that the NPP government, upon taking office, initiated actions to control the costs associated with power generation and distribution in Ghana. They believed that the implementation of numerous Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) would result in excess energy production, causing financial strain on the power sector. As a result, they established an Inter-Ministerial Committee to review the fiscal and legal implications of the PPAs executed by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The committee, chaired by Dr. Alfred Ofosu Ahenkora, submitted a report in April 2019, which was subsequently reviewed by the Attorney-General and approved by Cabinet. In the case of the GPGC PPA, the report recommended its termination due to excess capacity and high costs associated with the project.

Boakye Agyarko emphasized the need to consider the economic viability of the project, saying, "The likelihood of the Plant being idle is further heightened by the fact that it is a pure natural gas-fired turbine to be located in Tema, where there is inadequate gas to feed it."

below is the statement





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