The Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC) has said the GHC60,000 it is demanding for the cost of drilling one borehole in some selected communities in Ghana is legitimate.
Director of Public Affairs for the Commission, Nana Yaa Gyantuah said the integrated nature of the planned project dictated the cost.
She expressed shock over what she said was the attempt by some individuals to compare apples to oranges.
The boreholes would have an electronic panel to power them which is different from the ones drilled in various homes, she told Dzifa Bampoh, host of Joy FM’s Top Story programme Tuesday.
She also explained the boreholes are gritted water system which involved some geophysical studies and would be fitted with a pump house which would help community members to access the water, she said.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) at a news conference in Accra Tuesday registered its disappointment in what it said was an attempt to redirect public funds to sponsor the campaign of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
NPP former General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie who addressed the media read a letter in which the PURC has demanded GHC60,000 each for the drilling of 500 boreholes in some selected communities across the country.
According to him, the party’s interaction with some industry players revealed the standard cost of drilling a borehole is GHC18,000 and not the one the PURC quoted.
This, he said, is a clear case of government colluding with a national institution to siphon millions of funds to fund President John Mahama’s campaign.
Another issue, he said the NPP found baffling was the decision of the utility regulator to use sole sourcing in awarding such a competitive contract.
The Party believes this is unhealthy for the country especially the rate at which contracts are handed out on sole sourcing basis.
However, the PURC said the GHC18,000 the NPP claimed to be the prevailing cost in the country does not come with some of the equipment the GHC60,000 borehole benefits from.
Nana Yaa Gyantuah also said the PURC decided to use the single sourcing system because of its past experiences.
She said the Commission awarded some contracts to companies that performed well during the tendering process but later ended up with poor work.
“PPP has given approval but the PURC has not awarded the contract. If anything is going to happen the project will start in 2017 January,” she said.
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