By: Ronnel W. Domingo - 05:20 AM May
02, 2018
The Manila Electric Co.’s (Meralco)
debut as a hands-on energy player abroad hit a snag as its Chinese rival for a
concession in Ghana hailed to court the responsible state agency, prompting a
stop in the contracting process.
The Millennium Development Agency
(MiDA) of Ghana—which leads the concession process—last month named Meralco the
preferred bidder for a contract to manage, operate and invest in the Electric
Company of Ghana (ECG), which serves that West African country’s capital
region. MiDA chose Meralco for having the “highest combined technical and
financial score.”
MiDA, however, confirmed last week
that losing bidder led by BXC Company Ghana Ltd. has brought the agency to
court.
Ghanaian media quoted BXC, the
Chinese firm, as saying that its loss to another bidder was “arbitrary and
without basis.”
BXC, a seasoned power industry
contractor in Ghana, was reportedly disqualified due to potential conflict of
interest considering it had prior contracts with ECG.
With a suit against MiDA pending in
court, the concession process has been stopped.
“We’ll leave [it] to the Ghanaian
authorities. We respect whatever decision they’ll take,” Meralco president
Oscar S. Reyes told the Inquirer.
“We have a very strong, very
compliant proposal, we followed all the rules,” Reyes added. Following Ghanaian
law, Meralco has partnered with a local entity and is allowed to have a maximum
equity share of 30 percent in the partnership.
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