Intermittent power outages in parts of Accra have resulted in substantial financial setbacks for pubs, clubs, and eateries in the city.
Business owners attribute the inability to refrigerate perishable goods and entertain patrons as the main causes of these losses.
Osu, recognized as Accra’s nightlife hotspot, typically teems with activity after dark, boasting a diverse array of pubs, clubs, and dining establishments.
However, the unpredictable electricity supply has inflicted severe blows on these enterprises. One such venue, Philipos Tilapia Joint, is grappling with significant financial losses due to the recent power interruptions.
Mary Avenue, the chef at Philipos Tilapia Joint, echoes similar concerns in an interview with Citi News. She notes that they’ve had to scale back their fish purchases due to the uncertainty surrounding power availability, adversely impacting their business operations.
Furthermore, the inability to play music and maintain optimal drink temperatures has resulted in customer dissatisfaction and a downturn in business.
“It’s really affecting us because, for some time now, we used to buy our fish in bulk, but because of the light off, we now buy it half because we don’t know what might happen. Secondly, we can’t play music and the drinks become very hot. When the customers come around and you talk to them, they say it’s too hot, meaning the customer has to leave. It makes the work too hard for us, so that’s the challenge we are facing here.”
John Asare, supervisor at Shades Lounge, expressed concern about escalating unemployment rates in the country, fearing exacerbation if power outages persist.
He emphasized that prolonged power disruptions could deter customers, hampering revenue generation for businesses and potentially resulting in layoffs.
“This could lead to unemployment because definitely when we are not getting customers due to the power outage and then the business is not running, we won’t get money to pay our workers so definitely we will only ask them to leave.”
In response to this challenge, pub and eatery proprietors in Accra are advocating for a load-shedding schedule, aiming to gain operational predictability and alleviate the adverse effects of power interruptions.
