The Ameri emergency power deal is once again riddled in another controversy of a sort as the Minority in Parliament has raised objections to the figures the government is quoting as the amount saved in the renegotiated deal.
Even though the Minority admits the latest Ameri deal, which is currently before Parliament for approval saves the state some money of the $510 million original deal procured by the erstwhile government, members insist the savings are insignificant.
Energy Minister John-Peter Amewu had earlier withdrawn from Parliament the first renegotiated deal which remotely cost his predecessor, Boakye Agyarko, his job.
Mr. Amewu then laid a new deal which he described as being better than the earlier one, which would have in all cost the state about $700 million.
The new ‘enhanced’ deal, government claims, will save the state $51 million but the Minority spokesperson on Energy, Adams Mutawakilu, is not convinced.
According to him, the government is “confusing Ghanaians” into thinking the amount saved is $51 million.
“They’re confusing Ghanaians by saying that ooh $51 million and therefore the cost of the equipment which Ameri is much concerned about is the $510 million, what is the true reduction in respect to the $510 million? It’s $9.8 million,” he explained.
“So the cost of the equipment now is $500.2 million, far far insignificant,” he emphasized.
He said government scrapping the variable cost element of the deal as part of the renegotiation does not justify the reasons for which the government had alleged the deal was overpriced and entered a renegotiation.
The Damango Member of Parliament maintains that if the government had used the review clause of the contract, it would have saved itself “time, energy”.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana
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