News:
December 15, 2011
Parliament has approved a suppliers credit agreement between the government of Ghana and the China International Water and Electricity Corporation for an amount of 162,000,000.00 dollars.
The amount is for the supply and installation of materials and equipment under the national electrification scheme for the Volta and other regions as an extension of the Upper West Electrification project.
The adoption of the resolution was however not without drama as the Minority, raised issues with the inconsistency with the title that read; “For the supply and installation of materials and equipment under the National Electrification Scheme (Upper West Electrification Project)”. They were emphatic that no community in the Upper West has been named to benefit from it, hence the title was misleading.
Ranking Member of the Finance Committee and MP for Old Tafo Dr Anthony Osei Akoto, was the first to raise the issue and was supported by Dr Mathew Prempeh, Member for Manhyia.
Other MPs such as Deputy Minority Leader Ambrose Dery, and the Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, and the Speaker, Mrs Adeline Bamford Addo noted that the loan was meant for Volta Region and other regions and not for Upper West Region so the title must be changed.
Mr Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning Seth Tekpeh, agreed to make the necessary changes as he explained that the loan was sourced from the same place as was in the case of the Upper West Electrification project so the committee considered okay to leave the title as such.
The Speaker asked Mr Tekpeh to move the motion as amended and was seconded by Mr James Klutse, Chairman of the Finance Committee.
The will finance the supply and installation of electrical materials and equipment under the National Electricification Scheme to extend the extent of works of the Upper West Electrification project to cover projects in the Volta and six other regions.
The project covers a total of 600 communities in seven regions with 58 communities in Ashanti, 22 in central, 0 in Eastern, 27 in Greater Accra, 376 in Volta, 24 in Western, 66 in Brong Ahafo, 27 in Northern, Upper East 0, and Upper West 0.
Kwadwo anim/ghanamps.gov.gh