Over the past seven years, we have been able to maintain lights on _President Akuffo Addo on Dumsor

Minority parliamentarians from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) vociferously objected, voicing their disapproval with jeers and yells, when President Akufo-Addo brought up “Dumsor” and started discussing its detrimental impacts during the National Democratic Congress’s reign.

The President retorted that history would not erase the “Dumsor” era, highlighting the government’s resolve to keep it from happening again. He emphasised the efforts undertaken, in spite of financial difficulties, by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to provide a steady energy supply.

“My government was determined that Dumsor would not be inflicted upon Ghana and Ghanaians under an NPP government.” He continued “I am happy to be able to say, so far, so good, we have managed to keep the lights on these last seven years, even in the midst of a financial crisis,”

Akufo-Addo, citing a reduction in the energy sector debt inherited from the NDC, hailed his government’s rigorous management and negotiation skills for resolving the energy problem.

He disclosed that substantial savings were achieved through fruitful negotiations with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

The President went over the specific results of these talks, which could eventually result in significant savings. These results included commercial agreements for the restructuring of power purchase agreements and arrears with IPPs. In contrast to the prior “Take-Or-Pay” arrangement, he emphasised the achievement of establishing set monthly energy purchase pricing with IPPs, which resulted in large monthly payment savings.

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