By Corn mill operators at Kaneshie Market in Accra are facing significant financial challenges due to the persistent power outages in the country.
Dependent on electricity for their operations, these operators are witnessing a decline in their revenue streams, aggravated by the spoiling of soaked corn and other products because of the prolonged power interruptions.
Atsu Djugbatey, a respected figure among the corn mill operators, voiced his frustration, along with that of his customers, who are dissatisfied with the erratic power supply in the nation.
Mr. Djugbatey and fellow operators are urging the Electricity Company of Ghana to provide a load schedule timetable to help mitigate their situation.
The power outages pose significant challenges for the operators, as they are unable to process the soaked maize without electricity.
Being reliant on electricity for their operations, they find themselves waiting for power restoration, particularly at night, which has become a major obstacle.
The operators hold the government responsible for the situation and call upon them to urgently address the power crisis.
“The power outage makes us unable to work. When we soak the maize in water, just as we have done there, we can’t mill it. We would have to wait until power is restored at night. That is our biggest challenge.”
“Customers are not happy about the power crises; they’re all complaining. It all boils down to the government. We beg you to take our plight to the government.”
“We don’t get enough to pay for electricity bills. I beg the government, they claim it’s only a maintenance exercise, but that’s not what we are experiencing. This is “dumsor”; we asked for a timetable but we were asked to make our timetable, that’s not a nice way to talk to us. We beg them to come out with a timetable so we know the times there would be power outages.”
Simon Degbey, another corn mill shop operator at the market, echoed comparable sentiments, underscoring the grievances expressed by customers and the adverse effects on their capacity to support their families.
Mr. Degbey emphasized the repercussions of losing cereals to spoilage during power interruptions, resulting in reduced sales and exacerbating their financial burden.
“The complaints are a lot. It has slowed down our work. We are hungry, there’s no money in our pockets to cater for our families.”
“If we soak the maize in water, we are supposed to mill it the day after. But this is no longer the situation because when the maize is soaked for about three to four days, it produces a foul smell. People don’t even buy the dough in the market anymore because of the smell.”
“We beg the government to address the power crisis issues. There’s a high cost of living. We can’t tell what it is with Ghana right now. They should issue a timetable for us because the sporadic outage is worrying us.”
The operators plead with the government to issue a timetable for power outages to help them plan their work and avoid the financial burdens imposed by the erratic power supply.
According to them, their livelihoods are under threat due to the power crisis, leaving them struggling to make ends meet and emphasizing the urgent need for intervention.
