The Government of Ghana has withdrawn the AMERI power agreement which was laid in parliament on July 25, 2018.
This was done by the Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, December 6, 2018 and the Minister re-laid a “renogotiated and enhanced” agreement.
Issues surrounding the laying of the first, supposedly renegotiated, deal in the house led to the dismissal of former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko after the minority complained of an overpriced deal. The sector minister at the time was accused of misleading the President to give a presidential assent to the deal.
In July this year, Mr. Boakye Agyarko laid in parliament the agreement which was a revised one from what was signed by the Mahama-led administration in 2015.
Upon assumption of office, the NPP government did not find the agreement satisfactory and therefore tasked the then Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko to have it reviewed.
In July this year when the deal was laid before Parliament, the Minority Members of Parliament kicked against the deal saying the country was being shortchanged arguing that it had been overpriced.
Civil Society Organisations criticised the deal saying it was worse than the previous arrangement as the deal would cost the country over $937.5 million as compared to the previous $510 million.
Meanwhile, the renegotiated and enhanced agreement has since been referred to a joint Committee of Mines and Energy and Finance for deliberations and report to the house.
Source: 3news.com| Ghana