Former Deputy Energy Minister, John Jinapor has said that it is never true that several Ghanaian businesses collapsed during the eratic power supply in the country (Dumsor).
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has accused John Mahama administration that they failed to provide stimulus packages for businessmen during the dumsor era.
Dr Bawumia said that the former President failed to help businesses survive during the Dumsor era and hence he is surprised John Mahama wants to mock the current administration on the management of the economy.
“If you want to test the robustness of an economy, you test it in a time of crises. Thankfully, we have had two crises. Under the NDC, it was an internally-generated crisis, which was dumsor. Under the Presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo, there has been an externally generated crisis, which has been the global Coronavirus pandemic.”
“I just want you to ask yourself, how have these two crises been managed? The dumsor crisis which crippled this economy for four years. What were the mitigating measures offered to businesses and individuals during the dumsor, an internally generated crisis?” the Vice President asked.
“We saw that even during dumsor, electricity prices were being increased, fuel prices were being increased, teacher trainee allowances were being cancelled, nursing trainee training allowances were being cancelled. All of that was happening during that particular crisis.”
“You look at the Coronavirus crisis and you look at the difference in terms of what has happened. The President has reduced electricity prices and has made it free for lifeline consumers. He has given free water to all Ghanaians for three months, has made sure that there is a stimulus package of 600 million Ghana Cedis for businesses and we have seen domestic production of PPEs (personal protective equipment) for our health workers locally,” Dr Bawumia said.
Reacting to this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen monitored , John Jinapor said it is never true that any business collapsed in Ghana during the Dumsor era.
“Why is Dr Mahamudu Bawumia comparing apples with oranges? Why compare dumsor and COVID-19? What kind of analysis was that?…but I want to put on record that no Ghanaian business collapsed during the dumsor era…,” he said.
