The temporary shutdown is scheduled for January and March 2018.

The repair works will be carried out on the turret bearing of the oil and gas production vessel.

The Minister made the disclosure when he appeared on the floor of Parliament on Friday.

According to him, the repairs will ensure a long-term solution to the recurring breakdown of the turret.

“Mr. Speaker oil and gas production will be interrupted in 2018 with two shutdowns for three weeks each; on January 18^th, 2018 and March 7, 2018, to enable repair works to proceed, steps are being taken to optimize the number of shutdowns and optimize the shutdown duration,” he stated.

The faulty turret bearing on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah affected expected output on the vessel for a greater part of 2016.

The development led to an announcement by Tullow, operators of the vessel of possible shutdown in the 4^th quarter of 2017.

Initially planned to last for twelve weeks, Tullow reviewed the shutdown period on a couple of occasions and subsequently worked to avoid a prolonged shutdown of the vessel altogether.

Mr. Agyarko further gave a breakdown on the schedule of activities on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah between 2018 and 2019 as follows;

“Phase one entails activities under the interim solution while phase two deals with the long-term solution of permanent spread mooring. The aspect of the turret remediation project currently being undertaking is bearing stabilization on the turret which is the last stage of the interim solution. It is expected to be completed by December 2017 to pave the way for the start of the long-term solution.”

He added, “The schedule for the rest of the remediation works is as follows; award of offshore offloading system contract; 4^th quarter of 2017; completion of turret repair works and readiness for FPSO rotation 2^nd quarter 2018; the permanent spread mooring 3^rd quarter 2018; installation of offshore offloading system, 4^th quarter of 2019.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Agyarko has assured that his outfit is working to minimize the impact of the shutdown on the supply of gas in the country.

“Interruptions to gas supply during the temporary shutdown will be compensated for by gas from the newly commissioned TEN oilfields. Offloading will continue to be by means of the shuttle tanker until 4^th quarter 2019 when the offshore offloading system will be in place,” he asserted.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Jubilee field to shut down twice in 2018 appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) on Tuesday picketed at the premises of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), demanding for severance pay for ECG staff before they participate in the privatization of ECG under the Millennium Power Compact Two programme.

[contextly_sidebar id=”kTqvws7444NeJQBxOPL2Vuw9v4aspRBr”]But reacting to the demands at a press conference, Mr. Agyarko insisted that, workers of ECG who want their severance packages will not be prevented, but must leave the company after receiving it.

“…If you decide to leave ECG, then you will be paid your severance, but you should not have the expectation or guarantee that the new company will take you on. You have made a decision to sever your relations with ECG, and it should not put you in faithful expectation that going forward you have a job with the new company. So it is opened, all the ECG workers who want to leave and not join the new company are at liberty to do so and their severance so arranged.”

“But it is not going to be a collective bargaining situation where all 6,500 ECG workers are paid the severance and then transferred to the new company. You are at liberty to transfer yourself to the new company and carry with you all the benefits from ECG and continue accruing new benefits. You are equally at liberty to say that I want to wash my hands off ECG and go my own way,” he added.

Customers stranded as ECG workers embark on sit down strike

Customers of the ECG, were stranded on Wednesday at various offices of the company, following a two-hour sit down strike by the staff.

They staff had embarked on the move in demand of their severance packages with ECG as government is working on finalizing efforts to privatize operations of ECG.

The inscription “CLOSED” was boldly shown at the entrance to the offices, as customers were turned away.

One customer, Paul Donkor, who had come to pay his electricity bills, said “they [workers] told me to come back at 10:00am. I wanted to come early to leave for work, but now, I have to go to work and return tomorrow. Let’s pray that they are able to settle whatever issue it is, so I can successfully pay my bill when I return tomorrow [Thursday],” he added.

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By: Lawrence Segbefia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Prepare to exit ECG after redundancy pay – Boakye Agyarko appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Addressing members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a rally during the party’s National Delegates Conference at Cape Coast on Saturday, Boakye Agyarko said the reduction is in fulfillment of a promise made by the Akufo-Addo government.

[contextly_sidebar id=”CTiZZBDnTn06j6FFmepBpGVKQiDDqPOa”]“Have patience with us, we have promised that electricity tariffs will reduce. Just as we said dumsor will be over, I’m assuring you that, very soon when you see your electricity bills, you will know that when NPP promises it honours it,” he added.

The NPP prior to the December 2016 general elections accused the Mahama government of ripping Ghanaians off with high utility bills and promised to reduce it when it comes into power.

They also assured to put an end to the erratic power cut which affected the country in the past.

Mr. Agyarko at the rally assured that “the days of dumsor will not return.”

He said although there have been few hitches at the end of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), “before the end of this year, the lights will always be on.”

“You will then know that we brought on board good motives and knowledge and we will continue with such trend so that Ghanaians will be comfortable,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post We’ll reduce electricity tariff soon – Boakye Agyarko appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

BOST came under the spotlight when it was revealed that it had sold 5 million litres of contaminated products to unlicensed companies in a deal that several observers claim cost the nation millions of cedis.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JPHPaBm4AYVtONLEXBwd3EjM74lcnt7T”]A BNI and National Security report cleared the current CEO of BOST of any wrongdoing in the matter, and those comments were echoed by Boakye Agyarko at a press conference.

This conclusion was made before the 9-member Committee set up to investigate the matter had commenced their probe.

There had been calls from the Minority for the current MD to step aside for investigations to proceed without external influence.

But the Energy Minister stated at the press conference that “on the basis of previous practice, there was no wrongdoing at BOST on the sale of the 5 million litres of contaminated products,” based on the aforementioned BNI report.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the President said the Committee will continue to investigate the matter and provide recommendations to help rid the sector of contaminated fuel.

“Even though investigations have been concluded by the security agencies and the National Petroleum Authority, a nine-member committee, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Lawrence Darkwah, head of the Petroleum Engineering Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has been set up by the Energy Minister,” Nana Addo said.

“Among other things, the Committee is tasked with making recommendations towards putting the era of contaminated and off-spec products behind us.”

There have also been suggestions from the Minority that the BNI report was done to cover up the illegalities that had gone on at BOST and that the Energy Minister’s decision to exonerate the MD might have been influenced by orders from senior figures in government.

The Member of Parliament for Bongo, Edward Bawa said on The Big Issue: “Listening to the voice of the Minister and knowing who he is, I know he made the announcement with a lot of reluctance. [He made it] under duress. Obviously, it’s not a junior official who’ll put pressure on him to make the decision. I feel that the man believe in the process he had put in place. He believed in the fact that the Committee he had set up had the capacity to unravel the mystery surrounding this whole transaction.”

“The Minister of Energy set up a Committee to investigate the matter based on institutional representation. I was one of the people who commented the setup of the Committee. It had someone from TOR, people from Ghana Standards Board because of standards requirements the BDCs, Civil Society and the BNI. We felt the composition of the Committee was good.”

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post BOST investigations will continue – Nana Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Following the public uproar over BOST’s sale of 5 million litres of contaminated fuel to two unlicensed companies, Movepiina and Zup Oil, which were allegedly set up few days before the sale, the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko at a press conference cleared the Managing Director of BOST, Alfred Obeng Boateng of wrongdoing citing a Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and National Security report.

[contextly_sidebar id=”H8jyOchbO9S0FwAcgbCACJY4nSHLx1f4″]Government further challenged persons who claimed the contaminated fuel was being sold on the Ghanaian market to provide evidence.

Meanwhile, speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Executive Director of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, said he can lead the BNI to the illegal facilities.

“The real truth is being covered. The real substance of the matter is shielded from public discussion as to whether the product indeed ended up in the market. I can put on record that the last time we did some checks together with other petroleum personalities including Ben Boakye of ACEP, here in Tema–it was found that some of the BOST products were sitting in some tank yards; illegal facilities in Tema and that they were afraid to sell.”

“You push further to security operatives, you are told that indeed they can go and do the swoop but even when they are done, would the state be ready to prosecute? Because they have had several instances where NPA will go to arrest some of these illegal fuel dealers, by close of day some big people in some big places call that they should release those trucks. It’s a mafia.  I can put this on record and I can personally lead BNI today, if they want to get to the bottom of this. They know all the facts on the ground. Unfortunately there are so called bigger men in the space,” he added.

Ghana loses GHc800 million over illegal fuel operations

Reports suggest more than GH¢800 million cedis that should accrue to the state as revenue is lost every year through the operation of these illegal operators.

NPA helpless in contaminated fuel saga                                                                              

But it seems the NPA is helpless in the fight to clamp down on unlicensed fuel depots.

Although the NPA said it is taking steps to ensure these depots acquire licenses to operate, Duncan Amoah believes it is deliberately dragging its feet.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, the Acting Chief Executive of NPA, Hassan Tampoli, said activities of such illegal fuel operators is not new.

“…We are aware but as to how we will go about it, I think that is an institutional detail I don’t want to put out there. This people have been in operations for many years and I’m saying that within five months we want to take action against them. I think we should be commended.”

“This is just something we do on a regular basis. When we get the information, we set out our people to go and gather intelligence. We’ve been able to identify some areas and we are still identifying some more. But we need to get all of them, put them together then we get the necessary arrangements in place to be able to deal with those situations,” Mr. Tampoli added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post ‘Illegal’ firms harbouring BOST’s contaminated fuel at Tema – COPEC appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

As part of fulfillment of provisions of Section 86 of the Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921), the Minister on Friday, June 2, 2017 inaugurated a five member committee.

The committee’s mandate is among others mandated to ensure that the ministry complies with all audit long procedures and duly follow recommendations on Auditor General’s reports.

Speaking at a short ceremony at the ministry, Mr. Agyarko was also confident the committee will help protect the public purse.

“Generally, audit committee serves as a link in the communication network between internal and external auditors and administrative management. The general duties of audit committee include the overall scope of audit, results of audit and internal financial control,” the Minister stated.

“I am inclined to believe that some of you have been involved in the work of the erstwhile audit report implementation committee and for that matter, I do not need to belabour the importance of the audit committee,” Mr. Agyarko added.

The audit committee is also mandated to ensure that the entity to which it is related, pursues the implementation of any recommendation contained in an internal audit report, Parliament’s decision on the Auditor-General’s report and the report of an internal monitoring unit in the covered entity concerned particularly in relation to financial matters raised.

The members of the committee are; Boakye Agyarko, Energy Minister; Prof. Thomas Akabzaa-Chief Director; Mr. Benjamin Adjetey -Representative Institute of Internal Auditors.

The others are; Mrs Patience Austin – Representative Internal Audit Agency as well as Mr. Augustine Addo – Representative ICA Ghana.

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By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

The post Give value for money – Energy Minister to new audit committee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The sector minister on several platforms consistently criticized the management of ECG for the inefficiencies within the company.

ECG is under consideration for a concessionary agreement.

According to Mr. Manteaw, Mr. Agyarko might have a hidden agenda against the company.

“If the minister [of Energy] does not have any hidden agenda, then I think what he is doing is not helpful. But if he has hidden agenda to give ECG a bad name in order to hang her to take her to the path that he wants to take her then I’m not sure some of us will take it lightly because there will be some kind of resistance,” Mr. Manteaw, an ardent observer of the energy sector said on Eyewitness News on Tuesday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”gOADt9OIqqjYLJNK471vm0SzskPgVwu2″]Mr. Manteaw also accused the Energy Minister of bad faith for taking such tangent because the biggest debtor of ECG was government.

According to him ECG is struggling because of huge debts owed it by government and some institutions in the country.

“…Because there is an ongoing dialogue it doesn’t make for good faith for the Minister of Energy to take any least opportunity he gets to chastise ECG and to speak to the so called inefficiencies at ECG especially where he deliberately overlook government’s own complicity in actually bringing ECG where it is today. We are all aware that government’s indebtedness to ECG is the biggest challenge facing the cash flow situation that ECG finds itself today. And so if the Minister goes on a trajectory of lambasting ECG without speaking to the fact that government itself has been negligent in honouring its obligations to ECG then it’s a demonstration of bad faith,” he argued.

ECG privatization deal

The Ghana government is seeking to cede ECG under a concessionary agreement to allow private participation in the affairs of ECG for a period of 25 years.

The deal is part of the Ghana Power Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for a grant of US$498,200,000 to improve the performance of Ghana’s power sector to unlock the country’s economic potential, create jobs, and reduce poverty.

The agreement has suffered some setbacks in the past because some workers of ECG complained that the deal is not in the interest of the country hence was unable to kick start in the previous administration.

Bidders’ conference

Meanwhile, the incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) is hoping to court some consensus on the deal in order to implement it.

Speaking at the first Bidders’ Conference on in Accra on Tuesday, Mr. Agyarko said there was the need to adopt measures to prevent ECG from collapsing.

He lamented that “years of inadequate investment, inefficiencies within the utility, and a large stock of outstanding receivables, particularly in the distribution sector, have all conspired to weaken the organizations in the sector to what they are today.”

“As a nation, we should set our sights firmly on turning around the fortunes of this strategic sector which so many of us have poured our sweat into building,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post ECG privatization: Energy Minister might have hidden agenda – Manteaw appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

After administering the Oath of Office and Oath of Secrecy to the members, the Energy Minister congratulated and expressed gratitude to the Board for their decision to serve the nation.

The Minister further assured the Board of his unflinching support, and urged them to set strategic directions, collaborate with management, operate with maximum efficiency, discharge their duties professionally, and encouraged them to ensure the success of TOR.

Mr. Tongeaan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang, Chairman of the Board, expressed his appreciation to the President, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the opportunity, and assured the Energy Minister of the Board’s commitment to work assiduously to revamp Tema Oil Refinery.

Members of the Board include Ambassador Isaac Osei, Hon Kofi Brako, John Boadu, Dr. William Abayaawiea Atuilik, Mrs Edith Sapara-Grant, Seth Achamfour-Yeboah, Leon Kendon Appenteng and Nene Abayaateye Amegatcher.

Other dignitaries present were Prof. Thomas Mba Akabzaa, Chief Director of the Energy Ministry, Directors from the Energy Ministry, and General Managers of the Tema Oil Refinery.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Energy Minister inaugurates new TOR Board appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to him, the NDC would have been more assertive and effective in managing the situation in a way that would not result in the present situation.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cEbMeAlP3X2n0XFWnyMOUldUYzVR7OVZ”]Speaking on Eyewitness News, he said although the NDC faced a more challenging situation, it managed it better to prevent Ghanaians from experiencing the full impact.

“Never [this wouldn’t have happened under NDC], given the investment we made, the general capacity that we put in place, the fact that we put in place a deliberate, concrete, but difficult decisions to restructure the energy sector financial system and began paying the banks. In August, we paid the banks 250 million, we paid almost all the various stakeholders with the energy sector levy which the NPP government says it will scrap. We faced a worse situation,” he said.

“It is planning. Clearly when you know that you are going for a shutdown of the FPSO, you do what we call staggering. You phase the maintenance schedule, you don’t box all of them into a particular period and run the risk of knocking off all the plants,” he said.

He lamented that the NDC government in anticipation of the scheduled maintenance, drew a schedule with the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to ensure a smooth operation despite the maintenance works, but the NPP government unfortunately fired the CEO of the Authority immediately it came to office.

Speaking on the floor of parliament on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, on the same subject in reaction to a statement from the Ministry of Energy that stated that ‘dumsor’ wasn’t over with the election of anew government, Mr Jinapor said “We [NDC] worked tirelessly, the whole of last year [and] we had reliable and sustainable energy. The FPSO went off for two months and we never had dumsor. Mr. Speaker; it dazzles my imagination that the FPSO goes off for just one week and almost the whole nation is plunged into darkness.”

He said the NDC took over power in 2009 when access to electricity was about 50%, but “today as I speak to you, access to electricity is 83.5% second to only South Africa.”

“We wish to entreat our colleagues on the other side that on Thursday when the budget is presented by the Minister of Finance, we shall keenly monitor to ensure that the energy sector levies and the VAT which they promised are scrapped or not. And the people of Ghana will make a decision on whether they sold their colour television and they have been offered black and white TV or not,” he added.

New deadline to end of dumsor

Following recent erratic power cuts in Accra and other parts of the country, the Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko assured that the situation will normalize by end of Saturday, February 25, 2017, but it turned out to be false.

The Energy Ministry subsequently issued a statement extending the deadline to Monday, February 27, 2017.

“We wish to state that with the tie-in operation successfully completed, and coupled with the measures we put in place including procurement of fuel and increased power supply from La Cote d’Ivoire, the [power] situation will normalize from 27th February 2017,” a statement signed by the Communications Officer at the Energy Ministry, King A. Wellington, added.

We inherited a “heavily indebted energy sector” – Akufo-Addo 

Ghana’s energy sector is currently in a “heavily indebted” state, President Akufo-Addo told Parliament in his first state of the nation address. According to him, the sector has enormous problems that must be addressed urgently.

“We have inherited a heavily indebted energy sector with a net debt reaching $2.4bn as of December 2016. I have to point out the alarming facts that $800 million of this debt is owed to local banks which threaten their stability and that of the whole financial sector. Indeed, the huge indebtedness of the energy sector constitutes the single major hurdle to Ghanaians enjoying reliable and affordable electricity supply,” Akufo-Addo said.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Dumsor’ wouldn’t have returned under NDC – John Jinapor appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“I will state categorically without the fear of contradiction that I have never contrived, discussed or given any money to the First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Joe Osei- Owusu for said purposes namely to influence members of the committee to weigh a decision in my favour,” Mr. Ayarko told the special committee investigating the alleged bribery scandal.

Giving reasons to support his claim that he never bribed members of the Appointments Committee, Mr. Agyarko said that his party had the numbers to confirm his nomination even if the Minority had decided not to approve him.

“I do not think I performed poorly…I was convinced that with the 16/10 majority, my party had the numbers to pass me …so I had no motive whatsoever to influence or attempt to influence anybody with regards to my confirmation.”

Asked whether he took any action after hearing these allegations from the media, he said : “It was on leaving the Speaker’s lobby; on my way back , my phone kept ringing but I did not pick until I got to the Flagstaff House where there was a hoard of newsmen trying to  thrust microphones in my face, asking about my attempt to bribe somebody. I felt incredulous about the matter and I said was without the fear of contradiction, I had done no such thing, and I will not do such thing.”

The Minister further explained that, he never considered it an option to issue a rejoinder on the allegation because he believed “the matter was outlandish and will therefore fall on its face.”

Mr. Boakye Agyarko made these comments when he appeared before the 5-member ad-hoc committee as a witness in the bribery scandal.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post I had no reason to bribe Appointments Committee – Agyarko appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.