The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama has urged the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to rethink their planned strike.
He claimed that Ghanaians would suffer if IPPs decided to shut down their facilities as a result of their debt.
The former President highlighted that such a move would have serious effects on Ghana’s economy and badly affect the lives of many Ghanaian families, he stated in a Facebook post on June 30.
“As a concerned citizen, I would like to make a plea to the Chamber of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to reconsider their decision to shut down their plants effective July 1, 2023.
“If the IPPs, who account for almost half of the country’s total power generation and over two-thirds of Ghana’s thermal power, go through with this plan, it will have a disastrous impact on Ghana’s economy and negatively affect the lives and livelihoods of countless Ghanaian families.”
On June 29, the Chamber of Independent Power Producers ordered its members to stop supplying the national grid as of July 1.
Sunon Asogli, Cenpower, Karpowership, AKSA, Twin City Energy, and CENIT are a few of the chamber’s members.
The energy industry in Ghana is heavily reliant on independent power producers, who account for 67 percent of Ghana’s thermal power and control 47 percent of the nation’s overall power generating mix.
The six businesses claim a combined total of around $1.73 billion in cedis in outstanding debt as of May 2021; the debt dates back to January 2021.
The IPPs emphasize how this debt has restricted their ability to access operating capital, prohibiting them from funding essential inputs such chemicals for water treatment in thermal generators and other supplies, many of which are priced in foreign currencies, particularly the US dollar.
The NDC flagbearer urged the government to act right away and start talking to IPPs on a long-term solution to the coming power crisis.
