Dumsor — Gov't owed WAPCo $19.3 million

Deputy Minister of Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, confirmed the total amount owed, disclosing that $13 million has been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of $6 million.

To address the issue, the government has made a $10 million payment to WAPCo, bringing the total settled amount to $13 million, as the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) had previously redeemed $3 million of the debt.

The Ministry of Energy clarified that power outages occurred due to WAPCo cutting gas supply to Ghana amid the unpaid debts.

Mercer assured that the situation was resolved by last Wednesday, and gas supply has been restored.

Furthermore, arrangements have been made for GNPC to settle the December invoice by Monday, January 15.

The ministry, in collaboration with WAPCo, has established measures to prevent the accumulation of future invoices.

Mercer revealed that WAPCo initially threatened to cut the gas supply on January 2, 2024, but the ministry negotiated an extension to January 5, 2024.

Mercer dismissed claims of widespread power outages, asserting that there were no planned or scheduled outages in Ghana.

He refuted allegations by some members of the Minority in Parliament, stating that the shed load did not amount to one-third of the total generation.

Mercer emphasized that the current government has not experienced protracted power outages, commonly known as 'dumsor,' and assured the public that such issues would not resurface.

He emphasized the government's commitment to ensuring a consistent and uninterrupted power supply.