Only Energy Minister can order publication of 'dumsor' timetable – Osafo-Maafo

Yaw Osafo-Maafo, a Senior Presidential Advisor, has clarified that the decision to release a load-shedding timetable lies solely with the energy minister, Dr. Opoku Prempeh, alias Napo.

Highlighting the authority vested in the minister, Osafo-Maafo underscored that only Napo, overseeing the energy generation ecosystem holds the power to order such publication.

He affirmed that while load-shedding timetables are feasible, they require Napo's directive due to his oversight of power generation and distribution.

“To publish the rationing of power, nobody can do it except the Minister of Energy because he is overseeing the generation and they [ECG] are looking at the utilization. So, they can look at it and say that in this particular area, this is how it should be done.

“But it is something which can be done because it is what you have and what you have to use and spread it,” he stated on the sidelines of a forum on open government partnerships and construction sector transparency in Accra on Tuesday, April 23

The sector minister recently dismissed the public calls for a load-shedding timetable.

In recent months, Ghana has grappled with erratic power supply prompting concerns from businesses regarding its adverse effects on operations.

But speaking to the media at an event by the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Opoku Prempeh dismissed the calls for a load-shedding schedule while also rubbishing comparisons of the current situation to that of the 2015-2016 era under the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama administration.

“Ask those who want it to bring it, if there is, I haven’t seen any timetable. When you say bring a timetable, what do you mean?

“The ECG says that there is no timetable so why are you asking for a timetable?” he stated.

The ‘dumsor’ palava

As far back as late 2023, Ghanaians in many parts of the country began experiencing incessant power cuts without warning.

These outages, which worsened in 2024, caused disruptions to businesses and the daily activities of citizens.

This has led to some citizens concluding that ‘dumsor’ is back. The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has ruled that ECG is shedding load and has demanded a timetable. ECG has rejected the ruling and the fine that came with it.

However, many government officials have claimed the outages are not a result of ‘dumsor’. They also insist that there was no need for a timetable.

The problem was further worsened when the Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, challenged those calling for a timetable to come up with one themselves.

GA/SARA