Parliament has given the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) an eight-day ultimatum to present the details of the 100 million dollar Karpower deal.
GNPC is also expected to provide all information associated with the construction of its new office complex expected to cost about 70 million dollars.
This directive was given to corporation after Parliament finally approved GNPC’s programme of activities for the year after being denied twice by the House.
[contextly_sidebar id=”czyV3OSB18sdS7EEAgYlA6imMEF36uyM”]Delivering the directive, second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joe Ghartey said from next year, GNPC is expected to present a detailed programme of activities to Parliament before its budget is approved.
“The work programme is approved because the motion has been carried but this is subject to GNPC providing further details on the following expenditure items in the corporation 2016 budget and work programme. The items being: the new head office building including its location and a guarantee for Karpowership.”
“I’m therefore directing GNPC to submit details of the above to the House latest by Friday 17th June 2016. Additionally a notice hereby served on GNPC that from henceforth the House would demand and approve their programme of activities before their budget for the ensuing year is approved,” he added.
Parliament blocks GNPC’s programmes
Parliament on May 27, 2016 deferred the approval of the programme of activities of the GNPC pending some questions to be answered by the Minister of Petroleum on their operations.
Members of the house expressed serious reservations about some activities of GNPC which they say amounts to a waste of the country’s resources.
The MPs insisted that they could not approve GNPC’s programme because some projects the corporation wants to undertake deviates from their core mandate.
Parliament divided over GNPC’s $100m Karpower investment
There was a heated debate in Parliament on May 31 over GNPC’s decision to provide a $100 million guarantee to the owners of Karpower barge, to address the shortfall in the country’s power supply.
The debate centered on whether the deal was approved by the House, and was also within the core mandate of the state petroleum entity to be issuing such guarantees.
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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin