Opinions of Tuesday, 22 December 2015

Columnist: Shaban, Abdur Rahman Alfa

Dumsor, an economic 'doom sore' [1]

Dumsor, the state of 'self-imposed' power rationing resulting from the lack of [unavailability] for that matter of power to serve the NEEDS [caps mine] of industries and of individuals.

A sad state of affairs indeed.

I would lament [bitterly], I would query [as best as I can], I would berate [myself and us all] and shout as loud as I can drive home the point that we are as a collective drowning in the light of dumsor, which in real sense is a 'doom sore.'

Clearly the sooner it's fixed, the better

The economic impact of dumsor is one that cuts across most businesses. My initial lament being the negative impact that is felt by especially the small scale businesses that are hinged delicately so on the supply of electrical power.

Let's face it dumsor fast becoming the biggest "unemployer"

From the roadside barber to the hairdresser, from the tailor and seamstresses around the corner flanked by the welder and sprayer shop; of course how can one forget the lady whose pure water retail venture had just started booming now dipping?

And by the day, the dumsor noose gets tighter

How tighter you may ask? A 'conspiratorial' toxic mix utility price hikes coupled with a haywire load shedding/power rationing schedule makes for a sad narrative in respect of who has 'light' at what time.

ECG can hardly follow their own 'power' allotments

The least said about the plight of the major power consumers, the better. This is how the very devil we clamour against becomes the first 'client' called upon when industry sets out to rationalise operations vis-à-vis epileptic power supply. Retrenchment.

People have lost, are losing and will lose jobs if ...

And what is it about the noisy ill-orchestrated orchestra of who does what within the power loop the reason for which the other cannot or has not done their job? For how long would we have to endure the same explanations for NON PERFORMANCE?

Huh?

And as for the PURC, unfair as this may sound; maybe they should consider dropping the 'regulatory' mandate and adopt 'raising' option. I find that they are more a Public Utility Raising Commission in the general scheme of events, sadly so.

The doom sore that dumsor has unleashed on businesses is real, it can be felt on a daily basis. It is tangible and a full blown crisis that needs to be fixed.

A point that tosses the ball into the political circus. I'd leap into the political 'power' play station in my next piece.

Till then, thanks for reading my thoughts. Won't at all be bad to
hear from you. God bless our homeland Ghana.

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
newcguide@gmail.com