The Volta River Authority (VRA) says it will continue to deal with the Sahara Oil Company to supply it with Crude oil till the end of the year when a new bid will be opened for companies to tender. Sahara Oil has been the supplier of crude oil to the VRA for close to eight years; four years of which Sahara had a contract and the rest on Cargo supply as when VRA needs it. The Chief Executive of the VRA Mr. Kweku Andoh Awotwi disclosed this to the Press Corps of the VRA at a day’s presentation of the VRA’s preparedness to deal with competition with the de-regulation of the energy sector and how to make it more profitable and efficient at Akuse in the Eastern Region. Mr. Andoh Awotwi says the new board of the VRA is currently reviewing the contract of the Sahara Oil deal. The Chief Executive also expressed concerns about the low tariffs offered by the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission (PURC). Speaking extensively about how the VRA intends to position itself for competition, Mr. Andoh Awotwi said with emerging technology and stiff competition offered by the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), there was the need for the organization to divest itself from the non-core functions such as the management of Hotels, Schools, Real Estate, Health facilities and farms and concentrate on their core mandate of producing power for Ghana and the West African Sub-region. He said as a public sector organization that has maintained high standards, VRA stands a better chance to provide the needed labour pool for the emerging energy market following its wide and vast experience. Story by Kojo Asare-Baffour Acheampong Asempa 94.7FM