‘AGYA PA YE’ – RESOLVED ‘DUMSOR’ AND REDUCED ELECTRICITY TARIFFS (INDUSTRIALIZATION)

By: Chief Obosu Mohammed
Swansea, UK 24/11/2020

The NPP government under the able leadership of President Akufo-Addo has made steady progress and weaned the country off the dreadful dumsor that was bequeathed to it by the Mahama-led administration under whose tenure many industries and enterprises were burdened with skyrocketing electricity tariffs and unreliable flow of electricity due to frequent power rationing and outages which almost brought our industrial economy to its knees. 

The narrative regarding the Mahama-led dumsor regime is rather the opposite today and industries have been spared with the thoughts of losing their investments due to high overhead cost, low productivity and excessive debt portfolio that needed to be serviced. Many of the industries had to borrow to buy bigger power plants for production with its associated cost of maintenance and fuel consumption while those who could not afford the luxury of buying these expensive power plants coupled with its frequent maintenance or could not sustain the cost implication had to fold-up their businesses.

A lot of workers had to be laid-off to make room for the scarce resources to be used to manage the rising cost of staying in production. These affected industrial workers and their dependants won’t be forgetting too soon how their fate changed overnight due to the sheer incompetence of the then NDC government. 

The much-needed transformational agenda to move this country from what President Akufo-Addo describes as ‘Guggisberg economy’ to an ‘industrial-based economy’ would not have taken -off without a consistent and stable supply of electricity. Today, Ghanaians from all walks of life are witnesses to the many industries that are springing up from the length and breadth of our country. Many of the existing crippling industries are now in shape and expanding with the help of other governmental support -this could not have been possible in a ‘dumsor economy’.

To further cushion these industries, the government since 2018 has reduced electricity tariffs by 20% to industrial customers (Special load tariff customers) and 10% to miners to enable them to reduce their overhead cost, become competitive and be able to provide jobs to many Ghanaians. It is trite that electricity continues to remain cheaper and more reliable under President Akufo-Addo’s watch. 
It is instructive to state that for almost 4years of President Akufo-Addo’s stewardship and prudent management of the power sector, Ghana has since not experienced any form of ‘dumsor’ where electricity has to be rationed. 

Arguably, under the 4th Republic, no government has been able to escape the perennial power crisis. However, the same cannot be said under the Akufo-Addo government – the jinx has been broken and the records are evident for all to see. This enviable feat is only as a result of grit and competence that has been demonstrated within the energy sector.

Ghana continues to witness the influx of industries and businesses across the country. This could not have been possible without a sustained availability of electricity.
The choice of the next President of our republic should not be too

hard to make. It is a simple choice of whether to maintain a free/reduced and reliable electricity or to the return of ‘dumsor’.

The Akufo-Addo government has demonstrated beyond measure its capacity to manage, improve and sustain the energy sector of our country.

Your vote is expensive – vote wisely, vote Akufo-Addo and the NPP to enjoy uninterrupted power supply.

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