Some traders in the Kumasi Metropolis have called on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to extend the 'Dumsor' time table to the Ashanti region to enable residents and business people to plan their daily activities.

According to them, the recent situation where the lights go off unannounced was severely affecting their business and there was the need for the ECG to provide them with time lines to enable them prepare for alternative sources of power.

The traders, who made the appeal in separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, expressed grave concern about the current energy situation in the country.

Mr Isaac Yeboah, a frozen food seller, pointed out that the unannounced power cuts were severely affecting his business since most of the items got rotten during the off periods.

He has to make emergency fuel purchases to power his generator to save the products from getting bad.

Madam Afua Serwaa said the 'Dumsor' with its resultant heat conditions had brought a lot of heat rashes, especially on children.

She said 'Dumsor' was affecting almost every business and mentioned hospitals, banks, printing houses, barbers, hairdressers and others as those heavily receiving the blunt of the problem.

Wofa Yaw Owusu, also a trader at the Central Market, said the unexpected power cuts were affecting electrical appliances both at home, offices and shops and that often resulted in fire outbreaks.

Miss Gloria Opoku, a final year student in one of the Senior High Schools in Kumasi, said the problem was affecting academic work in schools since students were unable to attend preps regularly and other academic activities.

She therefore called on the ECG to extend the timetable to the Region as it had done for Accra to help reduce the burden of residents.