A proposed draft bill that would combine the Volta River Authority (VRA) with the Bui Power Authority, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) with the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), and create an independent Thermal Power Authority from VRA’s thermal plants has drawn vehement opposition from the VRA Staff Groups. The groups contend that these choices could have negative effects on the VRA and the country and are not in the best interests of Ghanaians.
The suggested modifications may jeopardize the VRA’s contributions to national security and the grid, the statement emphasized. In a statement released on Wednesday, the staff groups recounted a May 2024 meeting with the Chairman of the VRA Board, during which they received guarantees that the Authority’s Thermal Assets would not be privatized. The workforce, however, feels cut out of the decision-making process, which has caused them to become concerned after reading recent media reports regarding the proposed measures.
Additionally, they reported that VRA management acknowledged participating in a Technical Committee that produced a report for the Ministry of Energy that suggested VRA become a Holding Company during a Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting on August 29, 2024. In spite of this, no formal announcement regarding the mergers or the establishment of a Thermal Power Authority had been made. The staff groups saw the proposed moves as part of a plan to privatize the Thermal Department, which would facilitate the acquisition of important Ghanaian assets by private firms.
They contend that VRA was founded to produce electricity from a variety of sources, not simply hydropower, and that limiting its activities could cause it to fail. In order to resolve these problems and guarantee that both the VRA and the interests of Ghanaians be safeguarded, the staff of the VRA is urging prompt action.
Read the full statement here
SOURCE https://dew360.net
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