The Minority in Parliament has raised eyebrows over the 366 million-dollar cost of the 60MW Pwalugu Dam Project being constructed by the Government, saying it is outrageous.
“The Minority is vehemently opposed to the outrageous cost of the project, which by all standards has been hugely and unconsciously padded,” Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, told journalists at a press conference in Parliament House on Thursday.
“…The Pwalugu Dam at 60MW, which is expected to cost a whopping US$336 million, is extremely exorbitant and unacceptable,” the Minority said.
“What this means is that the unit cost of the Pwalugu Dam will eventually amount to 6 million dollars per Megawatt,” it explained.
Furthermore, the cost of the Dam is highly inflated as compared to the cost of similar projects within and outside Ghana, Mr Iddrisu said.
“The Minority would not be part of any process to approve the project because it is a complete rip-off,” he said.
The Dam is expected to be executed by a Chinese Construction firm – Powerchina International Group Limited.
Mr Iddrisu recalled that in November, last year, President Nana Akufo-Addo performed the sod-cutting ceremony for the project, during which he said the cost would be borne entirely by the government.
However, surprisingly, the 2020 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government had no budgetary provision for its construction.
Mr Iddrisu said soon after he had stated that the project was not captured in the 2020 Budget and demanded the source of funding, the Government hurriedly presented the agreement to Parliament for approval.
“Even more interesting is the fact that the necessary approvals had not been secured prior to the sod-cutting.”
“The critical question is: Why would the Government hasten to commission a dam-project when approval for the contract has not been given?” he asked.
Mr Iddrisu said the award of the contract was not done in an open and competitive manner to allow for thorough scrutiny.
He said the Minority had noted with concern the referral of the Contract Agreement to the Finance Committee instead of the Mines and Energy as well as the Food and Agriculture Committees as stipulated in the Standing Orders.
He explained that the agreement was a Contract Agreement as captured on the Standing Orders and could not be considered by the Finance Committee, which ordinarily dealt with Finance Agreement in accordance with Article (8) of the 1992 Constitution.
Source: GNA
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Can minority NDC then tell us what should have been the right cost for the project? Because, if you claimed the project cost is inflated then you must provide us with actual cost.
These NDC cr!m!nals are now making too much noise in our ears.... You must first talk about the inflated cost of Kwame Nkrumah interchange that you guys built.... Any project under NDC was inflated... Bus branding, Airbus, AMERI....... name the rest.
Those in charge of the dam constructions and the costings must bear in mind that like the airbus scandal whatever they do wrong today shall come against them tomorrow. On the other hand the NDC must provide an alternative cost instead of the blanket statements they are throwing about.
MASSA GET LOST WITH YOUR RETROGRESSIVE POSTURE. WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD
ndc is running halter skalter . you guys claimed dams cannot be build, now your problem is cost? jesus christ!!! i will advise you ndc to sit down quitely and reflect on the things you wish to campaign on . you look for bad and un attcative even to some of your own people.