According to Samuel Atta-Akyea, the head of the Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, the government is trying to pay off any debt owed to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) on Saturday, July 1.
He claims that steps are being taken to avoid and stop the disastrous effects of IPPs shutting down power stations.
“I don’t think the Minister of Finance will do that kind of thing of paying some and not paying others,” said one independent power producer. “The independent power producers are concerned about the necessity that they should be paid and if you pay one, and you don’t pay the other, what will be the consequences?”
“The government is doing everything to ensure that it doesn’t come to that. The government is acutely aware of the implications of withdrawing power from the system.”
The Finance Minister must find a mechanism to guarantee that even if they will be met in some fair conditions, they should still do it. The idea of the situation is that if you don’t have the money but have the goodwill to pay some of it, it will encourage them to grant you power. However, if you take a stand against paying them at all, you are effectively daring them to shut off the power.
