The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama, has pointed to the recent power outages in Ghana, commonly known as “dumsor,” as a consequence of mismanagement of the country’s power-generating assets and the collateralization of the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA).
The government implemented ESLA to consolidate various levies within the energy sector to fund power generation and address accumulated debts.
However, Mahama argues that the government’s decision to collateralize the proceeds from the Energy Sector Levy has contributed to the resurgence of power outages.
He expressed concern for the impact of the erratic power supply on businesses and households, highlighting the inability to plan effectively in such conditions. He called for accountability and concerted efforts to address 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.”
CNR