The Bui Power Authority says it is facing some challenges in disbursing the compensation packages to residents who were affected by the construction of transmission lines under the Bui Hydroelectric project.
Government on Sunday released an amount of GHC 2, 116, 322 for the payment of compensation to beneficiaries whose crops, buildings and structures were affected by the construction.
The Land Evaluation Division of the Lands Commission was mandated to from Monday, begin the disbursement of the money to 885 beneficiaries who spread across 41 communities in the area.
But the Assistant External Relations Officer of the Bui Power Project, Mawuli Fui Kwadzovia in an interview with Citi News attributed the difficulty in the disbursement to the failure of the residents to keep their documents indicating they were affected.
He said: “Some of them have misplaced their standard forms and others too did not come along with a photocopy of their national identification card and without these two key documents, it’s difficult for the Land Evaluation Division to give out the cheque to the beneficiaries.”
He revealed that the payment is not paid in cash “and every beneficiary is given a cheque so we expect that they will go and pay into their account and those who don’t have a bank account would have to open one.”
Regarding people who are deceased, Mr. Kwadzovia stated that their family members are expected to receive the money on their behalf but they “have been asked to go to court and obtain letters of administration and then a power of attorney to enable a family member to claim the compensation on behalf of the deceased.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana