UN report sees 40% of African businesses frustrated by power epilepsy, bills
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) 2017 report on least developed countries has revealed that lack of stable electricity is holding back 40% of businesses operating in least developed countries (LDCs) and mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report further says, on the average, the countries suffered ten power outages per month, each lasting around five hours, costing them 7 per cent of the value of their sales.
UNCTAD noted that over 60 per cent of the population in LDCs on average lacks access to electricity. Moreover, LDCs as a group have around just 8 per cent of the capacity of other developing economies to generate electricity for each person, and barely 2 per cent of that of wealthier nations, the report added.
Deputy Secretary-General of the world body, Isabelle Durant, noted that least developed countries will be deprived of economic and infrastructural development if they don’t have access to stable power.
She said “There can be little economic activity and few development prospects, with such an absence of electricity. No entrepreneur, no multinational, no digital infrastructure, no start-up can properly function without it.”
