By Amin Kef
A cross-section of residents in the Western Area have started expressing indignation as a result of the frequent power outages which it is believed started on the 1st December 2021 with some stating that one of the manifesto promises of the SLPP Government was providing sustainable power in the Western Area.
Expressions of such a perception once more brings to the fore the significance of the availability of electricity supply for the smooth functioning of society to such an extent that when power goes out, even for a day, people attribute such to political ineptitude forgetting that they were enjoying interrupted power supply in the not too distant past. Obviously, there are those who are now painting the picture that it has been a perennial problem, though it started just few days ago. But in this country, reliable power supply has always been a huge challenge.
As a proactive media outlet that passionately believes that things must be done in the right ways, we immediately went into action by undertaking an in-depth investigation to actually know what is really the main cause of the recent frequent power outages that many residents in the Western Area are grumbling about vis-à-vis this festive season when there are many lined up activities that would require power or electricity supply.
It was understood from our investigation conducted that the Management of Karpowership, the ship owned by a Turkish company that supplies electricity to the Freetown, decided to withhold their service simply because the Ministry of Finance has failed to honour energy subsidy payments said to have run into millions of dollars.
Also learnt was that despite the fact that the Management of Karpowership had notified the Ministry of Finance, through correspondences on various occasions to honour outstanding arrears yet still nothing was done in that direction.
What is so alarming is Karpowership has not been paid a single cent for the second contract while EDSA couldn’t pay the full cost of electricity due to several issues not limited to electricity theft, technical losses, cost price higher than the selling price partly as a result of the hike in fuel price and the devaluation of the country’s currency.
When this medium contacted a senior official of the Ministry of Finance to sound his opinion on this issue, he agreed to express his view on the condition of anonymity. He reliably informed that when the pressure started mounting up, the Ministry forwarded a payment plan which the Management of Karpowership was opposed to.
The Finance official furthered that it appears that the Ministry was downplaying the issue oblivious of the repercussions such will lead to. “I am aware of the fact that the Ministry has been offsetting debts but have not been paying attention to this particular one,” he said adding how at this crucial moment when we are in the festive season such an abysmal situation could cause a real damage to the Government’s reputation.
He buttressed his point by stating that electricity supply is a political commodity.
When this medium contacted a representative of Karpowership in the country to seek clarification he, however, refused to comment on the said issue.
