Government has described as a misconception, claims by the Minority in Parliament suggesting that the Tema Oil Refinery is to be sold to a private investor.
Minority Leader Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu accused government of scheming to sell the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to its cronies, when he presented what the minority termed, its “True State of the Nation Address.”
According to Mr. Mensah-Bonsu government was deliberately crippling TOR so as to pave the way for its privatization.
Speaking on Newsfile on Joy News TV and Joy FM, Saturday however, Minister for Information and Media Relations, Mahama Ayariga said government had no intentions of “handing TOR to the highest bidder,” as the Minority claimed.
Mr. Ayariga explained, government had resolved to adopt a private-public-partnership measure for capital injection into TOR, while it maintains substantial ownership in the refinery to make it become effective and efficient.
The approach he indicated will expand the facility and make it serve the local market as well as the West African sub-region.
“Nobody is selling TOR. President Mahama didn’t say TOR is going to be sold; what he said was that government is looking for a strategic partner to bring resources and invest in TOR and restore it to its former glory,” Mr. Ayariga stated.
Meanwhile, Managing Editor for the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has described the move as a positive development. He however cautioned government against surrendering greater part of its shares in TOR.
Kweku Baako proposed that government should maintain a minimum share of 75% in the national asset and do more to encourage the private sector to establish new refineries to compliment TOR.