Volta region: Dumsor cripples businesses, disrupt lives

Dumsor hits Volta Region: Frequent power outages disrupt businesses and lives in Ho. Learn about the impact and ECG’s efforts to restore stability.

Residents and business owners in Ho and various areas of the Volta Region are experiencing rising frustration  over persistent power outages that continued for almost a month. The unpredictable power outages, bedeviled by sudden unannounced power outages and prolonged low voltage, continues to affect activities during the day and at night, causing widespread disruption to livelihoods and daily operations.

A lot of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are bearing the brunt of the Volta Region electricity crisis, particularly those businesses dependent on refrigeration, digital tools, and persistent lighting. As a result, some business owners have switched to generator power, but the cost of fuel is proving too costly.

Sumaila Ahmed, a barber at Ho Bankoe said that “I now spend over GH₵150 on fuel every two days just to keep my salon running.” Another business owner, Seyram Foe-Ahorney, owner of a cold store near Ho Technical University, shared similar concerns saying “Every day, I’m forced to choose between running a generator and making a profit.“

Households have also been affected. The Residents experience food spoilage issues, damaged electrical appliances, and increasing concern about power outages in Ho.

In response to the growing concern about the Volta Region electricity crisis, the Volta Regional Minister paid a visit to the Volta Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Ho, and then another visit to GRIDCo in Akosombo.

He voiced his discontent with the ongoing state of ECG power outage in the region, highlighting the broad disruption caused to businesses and households.

The ECG’s Volta Regional General Manager, Ms. Christina Jatoe-Kaleo, attributed the power outages to power instability from GRIDCo. She gave assurance to the Minister that ECG and GRIDCo are collaborating to improve power supply in the Volta Region and the affected areas in the country.

READ: Weija-Gbawe MP demands immediate action on persistent power outages