A section of the Teshie Concerned Citizens Association speaking to the media
The Africa Center for Integrity and Development and the Concerned Citizens of Teshie have called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the committee set up to review the agreement on the establishment of the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant to quickly take a decision in the interest of the residents.
According to the two organizations, a decision to buy off the asset and liability of the plant is the surest way to stop the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) from paying $1,420,650 monthly to Messrs Befessa, operators of the Teshie-Nungua Desalination Plant, which was shut down earlier this year after its inauguration in 2015.
The decision to shut down the plant was necessitated by the cost involved in the operation of the plant which is economically not viable.
The GWCL is reported to spent GH¢11 million monthly for the production of water but was raking in GH¢2 million.
However, per the $120 million desalination plant contract, GWCL is required to pay the capacity charge of US$ 1.4 million per month to Messrs Befessa Desalination Developments Ghana under the build, own and transfer agreement.
The GWCL is also obliged to pay the electricity bills at the facility, which stand at an average of GH¢3 million per month (for 2017) under the project that Befesa will operate and maintain for 25 years.
But ACID insists these payments are having a toll on the water company, which was forced to shut down the plant because of the losses.
“Ghana Water Company Limited has shut down the Teshie-Nungua Plant because it’s a drain on the company’s financial resources…their obligations under the water purchase agreement is even a huge constraint in providing water,” said Fred Agbobli, senior advisor at ACID at a press conference in Accra yesterday.
He said the provision of potable water to citizens is a constitutional right of citizens and government, through its agency, needs to ensure that all citizens have access to potable water.
He noted that owing to the development, GWCL cannot expand access to potable water in other parts of the country because of the huge financial burden.
Water Rationing
The GWCL, in a statement during the closure of the plant, assured affected residents of the two communities that water would be supplied to them under new arrangements while government finds a solution to the challenges at the plant.
“In recent times, the GWCL has encountered some challenges with the management of the plant. As a result water flow to the service area has been erratic. Management is taking the right steps in resolving the issues and will request customers and the general public to bear with the company in these times,” the statement said.
Seth Amartey Tagoe, Chair of the Teshie Concern Citizens Association, said the community receives water three times a week from the Kpong Water Station which is insufficient.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri