PURC to import solar panels for Northern SMEs

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission intends importing solar panels to support Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the Northern Region.

The move forms part of the PURC’s program to mitigate the effects of the ongoing nationwide load shedding exercise which is gradually collapsing businesses across the country.

The PURCs Director of Public and External Affairs, Nana Yaa Jentuah disclosed this to Citi News in Tamale on the sidelines at a meeting with some selected business groupings operating in the Northern Region.

She admitted that Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the Northern Region were the hardest hit.

“For now we are targeting the Small Scale Entrepreneurs because they are the hardest hit: if they have to buy fuel for a generator how much will they get at the end of the day: so for now we are targeting them and we will scale it up to the bigger industries.”

“The northern part of this country there are a lot of small scale enterprises: they don’t have heavy industrial companies here but the small and medium scale drive the economy in this part of the country,” she stressed.

Nana Yaa Jentuah said the PURC will search for funds to implement the program.

She said the project will be piloted by the PURC in collaboration with the Energy Commission.

According to her, the project will be scaled up after evaluating its challenges and benefits.

Chairman of the Association of Small Scale Industries, Saed Mumin took a swipe at the VRA/NEDco for failing to publish list of the load shedding exercise.
He said the erratic power supply has damaged some of their heavy machines.
“Some of our gadgets have been damaged because the time table the VRA/NEDco is supposed to give to us to guide our operations they have not done that.”

Saed Mumin pleaded with government to find a permanent to the unending erratic power supply.

“I am an electronic technician by profession and I know that all my colleagues from the SMEs are praying that something immediately will be done about it.”

Wahab Muntia of the Ghana Progressive Hairdressers and Beauticians Association lamented. “We base on the electrical things so the light off situation is affecting us too much: so what I am appealing to the VRA is that they should try and do something about it.”

She said some of the association’s members have been compelled to close their hairdressing saloons.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana