The recent power outages in Ghana, also known as “dumsor,” have prompted the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, to urge the government to take full responsibility.
Mr Mahama contends that the government’s mismanagement of the sector is to blame for the current situation.
He specifically points to the collateralisation of the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA), implemented during his administration, as a contributing factor to the crisis.
ESLA, designed to consolidate energy sector levies for power generation funding and debt relief, has, according to Mr Mahama, exacerbated the power outages due to the government’s decision to collateralize ESLA proceeds.
Expressing concern over the adverse impact on businesses and households, he emphasised on the challenges businesses and individuals face due to the unplanned outages. He called for accountability and concerted efforts to tackle the ongoing power crisis.
“The country has been plunged into darkness. Mismanagement of our generating assets and collateralization of the ESLA, which was meant to provide the resources to finance current and legacy debt, has led us back into the doom zone.
“The best government can do is to eat humble pie, take responsibility for the problem, and work to address it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I’m aware that businesses and households cannot plan because of the erratic power situation.”
Source: myjoyonline.com
