More than 12,000 people have lost their jobs between January and April 2015 alone due to the crippling power crisis in Ghana.
This was revealed by the Ghana Employers Association at the launch of the National Employment Policy, Wednesday.
The Employment policy amongst other things is to help create decent jobs to meet the growing demand for employment and to improve the quality of jobs for those already in employment.
The policy is set to be implemented across sectors, ministries, departments and agencies as well as local government institutions.
Even before the policy will be fully operational, the Executive Director of the Association, Mr Alex Frimpong said government must as a matter of necessity address issues relating to the power crisis, skills mismatch and the ever increasing cost of doing business in Ghana.
The Association is also asking government to provide local investors with the kinds of incentives being offered foreign investors.
The Association is not the only organisation reeling under the effects of the power crisis.
The Chamber of Commerce also says almost 50 percent of workers across the country in the sector will be losing their jobs by the end of the year if the current power crisis is not resolved.
The head of the Commerce, Seth Adjei Baah said with the current 12-hours-on-24-hours-off power rationing schedule the country is enduring, industries have only two productive days out of the seven days in a week.
He said under such a regime there is no need keeping workers on duty when they are not producing anything.
With fuel prices also high, Seth Adjei Baah said it is highly expensive and hugely uncompetitive for industries to operate on fuel.
“Those competing with imported goods are having challenges,” he stated, warning if nothing is done urgently about it “we will be in big trouble.”
Responding to the concerns of the Employers Association, President John Mahama said government is eliminating discrimination between local and foreign investors, adding the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre should educate local investors on existing incentives available in order for them to take advantage of same.
He also advised companies to take advantage of the local content policy currently being implemented in the country.
Source: joy online
