Woman counts heavy losses as power outages destroy stored fish

A local fish trader has suffered significant financial losses after persistent power outages caused her stored fish to spoil, reigniting concerns over the growing impact of unreliable electricity supply on small businesses in Ghana.

According to accounts from the affected woman, the unexpected and prolonged blackouts left her unable to preserve large quantities of fish kept in freezers, leading to complete spoilage. The incident has not only wiped out her investment but also disrupted her source of livelihood.

The situation reflects a broader challenge faced by many small-scale traders who rely heavily on electricity for food preservation. In Ghana, frequent power outages—commonly referred to as “dumsor”—have historically led to similar losses, damaging refrigerated goods and affecting business stability.

Recent developments indicate that the current wave of outages is linked to both technical challenges and ongoing system upgrades. Reports suggest that a fire incident at the Ghana Grid Company’s Akosombo substation significantly reduced power generation capacity, contributing to widespread outages across the country.

At the same time, government officials have maintained that the situation does not amount to a return of “dumsor.” President John Dramani Mahama has explained that the intermittent outages are largely due to efforts to improve the electricity distribution system, including the replacement of ageing transformers nationwide.

The Minister for Energy and Green Transition has also assured Ghanaians that measures are being implemented to stabilise the power supply, including the rollout of thousands of new transformers and ongoing repair works. Authorities say these interventions are aimed at ensuring more reliable and stable electricity in the long term.