The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has charged President Nana Akufo-Addo to urgently tackle the persistent power challenges in the country, commonly known as ‘dumsor’.
The Secretary-General of TUC, Dr Yaw Baah, emphasised the critical need for action to address the power challenges at the May Day celebrations held at the Black Star Square.
Dr Baah mentioned that Ghanaians could not afford to endure the effects of the power challenges any longer, as it is severely impacting businesses and could lead to widespread unemployment if not resolved promptly.
He urged President Akufo-Addo and the government to take immediate steps to mitigate the effects of the situation.
“Mr President, my second appeal is about ‘dumsor’. Mr President, it is regrettable that the people of Ghana have to experience ‘dumsor’ again after all that we went through in the past. We have to go through it again. Please do something about it now!”
Meanwhile, the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) has mounted intense pressure on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to publish a load-shedding timetable so that its members can better plan their business activities.
Several businesses have been negatively affected by intermittent power cuts in the last two months, and the operators are calling for measures to mitigate the impact.
In a statement, GUTA highlighted the significant impact of the power outages on various sectors, including agriculture, trade, and industry.
Various quarters, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), have called for ECG to release a load-management schedule, but there has been no positive response.
GUTA also decried the high operational costs incurred by businesses due to the irregular power supply, necessitating the heavy use of fuel to run generators.
“Moreover, the unpredictable power outages force many shop owners to rely on generators, leading to additional expenses for fuel procurement and storage in anticipation of power disruptions.
“Manufacturers, in particular, are grappling with maintaining production schedules and workforce planning due to the inconsistent power supply, which not only escalates production costs but also exacerbates the living conditions of citizens,” GUTA emphasised.
However, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the 2024 election, has assured that the ongoing power crisis will soon be resolved.
In his remarks, Dr Bawumia reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the outages once and for all.
Speaking at a breakfast meeting with NPP regional leaders on Monday, April 29, ahead of the start of his nationwide tour in the Eastern Region, Dr Bawumia assured Ghanaians that the Energy Ministry was actively managing the challenges in the power sector.
“I know that there are challenges, and we are going to work on them. Currently, we have issues with power. The assurance from the Minister for Energy is that those power challenges will very soon be a thing of the past; they are working at it,” he said.