The study was conducted between May 6, 2024, and May 12, 2024
Businesses and households in the Greater Accra region, on average, endure power outages of more than seven hours at least four times a week, an Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) survey has revealed.
The study, conducted between May 6, 2024, and May 12, 2024, among 82 Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and 83 households, indicated that about 94 percent of respondents experienced various degrees of power outages, ranging from one to more than seven times within the week.
Overall, the study shows that 75.4 percent of respondents experienced power outages at least three times a week, with about 19 percent recording seven or more occurrences.
In terms of the duration of the outages, the survey disclosed that about 57 percent of respondents experienced seven or more hours of power outages, while only 12 percent said their power outage lasted for three hours or less.
"These figures show significant outages across the Greater Accra Region, even after the president declared 'dumsor' was over," the report stated.
The study also disclosed that about 89 percent of households and 58.5 percent of SMEs did not have access to any alternative source of power, leading to loss of revenue through unproductivity and damage to goods and appliances, which affected about 61.5 percent of households and 70.7 percent of businesses.
Mr. Samuel Manu, Head of the Survey Centre at IEA, during a press briefing in Accra, observed that the lack of access to an alternative power source meant that most businesses and households in Accra were at the mercy of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the managers of Ghana's energy sector.
"Cutting people off the electricity supply is bad, but not informing them in advance before doing so worsens their situation," he said. "An overwhelming 95 percent of respondents indicated that they do not receive any form of communication on the time and reason for power outages."
"To add insult to injury, the authorities are in denial of the situation and have refused to inform citizens in advance before cutting the electricity supply. This makes it difficult for businesses and households to plan their activities," he added.
As part of its recommendations to address the power challenge, the IEA urged all political parties to produce a roadmap for a lasting solution to Ghana's energy issues in their manifestos. It called on the ECG to provide information in advance on the timing of power outages and advised policymakers to consider policies that make alternative power sources affordable and accessible to Ghanaians.
