Gas at last
Posted on | September 3, 2010 | No Comments
The long-awaited plan of the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCO) to supply gas to the Volta River Authority (VRA) through an alternative delivery point in Tema finally came on stream yesterday with the delivery of 60 million British thermal units (mmbtu) of free flow gas to the authority for power generation.
The VRA has concluded arrangement with the NGAS, marketers of WAPCO, to supply 35 million thermal units of gas out of the delivery to the Asogli Power Plant, which was completed a year ago but has remained idle because of lack of gas. With the gas now flowing, the Asogli Power Plant will be able to generate 180 megawatts of energy to complement that of the VRA.
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Power tariffs go down
Posted on | September 3, 2010 | No Comments
The government has decided to apply a total subsidy of GH¢115 million to all electricity consumers, following the recent tariff adjustment by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC). According to a report submitted by a technical committee to the Vice-President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, at the Castle Osu, yesterday, consumers who consume up to 150 units a month will enjoy a total relief of GH¢22 million, while a subsidy of GH¢48.79 million will go to all residential consumers, including those who consume between 0 – 50 units.
Non-residential and industrial consumers will enjoy a total subsidy of GH¢112 million with an additional GH¢3 million for residential consumers who already have had a significant reduction since the tariffs were first announced. The Vice-President said the exercise by the committee was undertaken in line with the Act that established the PURC but not a directive of the government. Mr. Mahama said in taking the decision, the government was aware of the impending impoundment of the Black Volta from 2011 to 2012 due to ongoing construction works at the Bui Hydroelectric Project. Read more
Afforestation to provide 30,000 jobs
Posted on | September 3, 2010 | No Comments
The National Forest Plantation Development Programme (NFPDP) launched by President John Evans Atta Mills on January 20, 1010 is on course to provide 30,000 jobs for the youth in various parts of the country. It is also on course to restore 30,000 hectares of degraded forest reserves this year as part of measures to improve afforestation in the country. About GH¢66.8 million is being spent on the programme.
The programme, designed to restore lost forests in the country, is also meant to create jobs for the youth in deprived communities. It forms part of the government’s desire to reduce rural poverty and improve the quality of the environment and contribute significantly to food security by increasing food production. The Director of Plantation Review Performance, Mr. Francis Amoah, who announced this at Akyawkrom in the Ashanti Region during a performance review meeting, stated that the programme was being implemented in degraded forest reserves. Read more