Accra, June 24, GNA - Plans and programmes initiated by the Volta River Authority (VRA) to increase efficiency and effectiveness were yielding gains signalling that the Company was set for progress, Mr Joshua Ofedie, VRA Chief Executive Officer, observed on Friday. Mr Ofedie mentioned the maintenance of the power system, investigating high incidence of power system collapse and measures to forestall recurrence as some of the programmes.

Speaking at a long service award ceremony in Accra for 177 VRA workers, who had worked for between 10 and 40 years, he noted that VRA's participation in the West African Gas Pipeline Project also held the key to success, as the Takoradi Thermal Plant Complex was a beneficiary. "The objective is to substitute a cheaper gas fuel for light crude oil, which the VRA uses at Takoradi, by 2008 in order to significantly reduce cost of the thermal generation."

Mr Ofedie also announced that the Akosombo Retrofit Project had been successful saying the generation capacity of the Akosombo Generating Station had significantly increased by 108 mega watts (MW) from the initial installed capacity of 912 MW to 1,020 MW while the plant was assured of satisfactory service for 30 years. He said engineers of VRA and Toshiba Corporation of Japan had begun working on the Kpong Generation Station Retrofit, which on the completion would increase its installed capacity significantly. Mr Ofedie said the VRA had substantially completed the Prestea-Obuasi Line Project that would reinforce the transmission system; reduce system losses and enhance the capacity of transmission network that would handle additional generation and supply in the western part of Ghana.

On the finances of VRA, Mr Ofedie noted that finances had improved "but there is the need to practice prudent financial discipline so that we do not relapse into financial crises as we do not envisage any tariff increase this year". Notwithstanding these strides, he said, the VRA was still grappling with indiscipline, which was undermining the Authority's effort. "Policies and procedures are not being followed. Deadlines are not being adhered to and our corporate standards which have earned us national pride are gradually being whittled away."

Mr Ofedie called on Managers and Supervisors to set good examples for their subordinates to copy so that they could have moral authority to command respect thereby stamping out negative tendencies. He said the Management was conscious about the difficulties facing staff in their operations adding, "Management is striving very hard to improve on VRA's resources such as cars and computers, among other things."

Mr Komla Rubson, an award recipient, thanked the Management and Board for instituting the award saying, "we on our part will continue to work harder (than before)".