Save VRA from collapse

ENERGY crises in Ghana have more often than not been politicized to the core where the ruling government has been chastised for their incompetence in finding lasting solution to the problem.

WE have had instances where opposition parties capitalise on energy challenges just to score cheap political points.
THE Daily Graphic on Thursday 4th February, 2010, reported that Ghana’s capacity to generate energy for industrial, commercial and domestic use is in serious crisis because of the failure of mining companies, industries, ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to pay the huge sums of money they owe the Volta River Authority (VRA).

ACCORDING to the report, the VRA has been compelled to sell power cheaper than the production cost, as a result of what it obtains from loyal customers who pay their bills regularly which is not enough.
THE development, according to said news item, has plunged the VRA into a critical financial situation.

FIGURES in the news item put the current debt owed by MDAs to the VRA at GH¢90 million, while some mining companies also owed the authority more than GH¢15 million.
IT is disheartening to see this happen at this time in the face of the already existing power supply challenges bedeviling the country.
THIS is indeed unacceptable because the defaulting companies and institutions are doing the nation great disservice. This is due to the fact that the VRA need these monies to maintain and improve upon its services.
TODAY therefore takes this opportunity to urge all defaulting companies to pay whatever debt they owe VRA to enable the authority function proficiently.
Regrettably some mining companies with all their huge finances are owing as high as GH¢15 million which is very bad. The sad aspect of the whole story is that no efforts have been made to pay these debts.
WE are the same people who will criticise and make noise on radio stations and the print media when VRA does not live up to expectation.
IF things were going astray we would have gone go all out to make huge capital out of the inefficiency of VRA so we expect that the right thing is done.
GHANAIANS have had enough of the load shedding exercise hence it is prudent for these defaulting companies to honour their side of the bargain by paying the VRA debts they owe.
IT is in this direction that TODAY calls on all VRA defaulters to pay their debts to avoid another load shedding exercise from taking place.