General News of Monday, 21 October 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-10-21
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An anti-corruption group, Crusaders Against Corruption Ghana, has served notice it will oppose any attempt by the government to use the restrictive tendering method of procurement in finding a new partner in its botched deal with the Power Distribution Service (PDS).
Government after announcing the termination of its power concession agreement with PDS indicated that it will select a new partner for the power concession agreement through a restrictive tendering process without compromising the integrity of the procurement process.
But in a statement, the group disagrees saying its resistance to the move is to safeguard the country in terms of transparency and accountability.
“Crusaders against Corruption Ghana will resist any form of restrictive tendering in the interest of transparency and accountability as Ghana begins the process of replacing PDS.”
Other demands
Crusaders Against Corruption Ghana is also demanding the sight of the MiDA Board Minutes over the past year to ensure that all funds that were withdrawn from ECG’s cash flow or borrowed on behalf of ECG are analyzed forensically.
It argues that “the members of the board were placed there on trust for the good people of Ghana, not for their own enrichment and self-interests.”
In addition, “it wants that in replacing PDS, immediate plans must be instituted to open up the ownership of this new concession to all Ghanaians, and not limit it to just a handful of individuals and companies per Article 36 (6), which states that “the State shall afford equality of economic opportunity to all citizens.”
The government officially announced the termination of its power concession agreement with Power Distribution Services (PDS) over the weekend in a statement dated Friday, October 18, 2019.
In a detailed letter, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, explained what led to the termination of the controversial PDS contract stating that the decision was taken at a meeting in the US on Friday, October 18, 2019 with the Secretary to President Akufo-Addo, Nana Bediatuo Asante and officials of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
The letter also recommended a limiting tendering to substitute the Power Distribution Services (PDS) “in a timely manner” for the Compact II Program with the US to continue.
Prosecute persons who supervised cancelled PDS deal within 14 days – COPEC to gov’t
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is demanding that the government causes the arrest and prosecution of persons who represented Ghana in signing the now cancelled concession deal with Power Distribution Services (PDS).
COPEC believes that those who led the country to proceed with the deal despite the flaw must not be allowed to walk free.
“We will want the government to work harder within the next 14 days to immediately take steps to ensure all public and government officials so connected either directly or remotely to this fraudulent PDS deal be made to suffer all such consequences as prescribed in the discharge of their obligations to the state and Ghanaians in general,” COPEC said in a statement.
