Minority wants PDS contract terminated

The Minority in Parliament is asking government to terminate the concession agreement with Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS) with immediate effect.

The Minority also wants the Office of Special Prosecutor to investigate the state’s inability to detect the fraud involved in the demand guarantees submitted by PDS before it took over the operations and management of the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Government signed agreement with PDS, a consortium led by Meralco to manage ECG from March 1 for the next 20 years.

The concession agreement was however suspended by government on Tuesday claiming the detection of fundamental and material breaches of PDS’ obligation in the provision of payment securities for the transaction.

At a news conference in Accra on Thursday, former Deputy Energy Minister John Jinapor, claimed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta knew from the onset that the guarantees were fake.

The Minority are therefore asking government to identify and prosecute those responsible for the fraudulent guarantees as confirmed by the Minister of Energy.

“Under the guise of promoting local content, this government upon assumption of office, deliberately, altered the original agreement in order to pave way for the contract to be awarded to a cabal. This cabal is made up of friends, cronies and NPP party apparatchiks contrary to the original goals and objectives of the programme,” John Jinapor said.

He also alleged that the Ministries of Finance and Energy knew that the Guarantee was Fake but decided not to act on the anomaly “for reasons best known to them and only them”.

“We hold President Akufo-Addo squarely responsible and liable for this embarrassing spectacle. Government and officialdom are neck deep in this failed create, loot and share plot.”

He said the Minority cautioned the Government against the deal on the floor of Parliament when it was discovered that the Ghanaian shareholders in the transaction had questionable records.

“Ladies and gentlemen, do not accept Government’s contrived claim that they suspended the concession because of a so-called ‘due diligence’. This excuse is only a ruse – they were forewarned.”

Meanwhile, the Minority wants a full refund of all monies appropriated by PDS under the concession.

It also wants government to dissolve the current ECG Board and appoint a competent non-partisan board.

Meanwhile, government said a full probe has been initiated into the agreement and steps have been taken to ensure that distribution, billing and payment services continue.

Source: 3news.com | Ghana