Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has taken a swipe at critics of government over the constant power outages in the country.

H. E. Amissah-Arthur who had his speech read on his behalf at the 25thAnniversary launch of ActionAid Ghana yesterday by Minister of State at the Presidency, Akwasi Osei Fosu, said it was time to respond to the power outages and dumsor demonstrations and vigils, stressing that criticisms against government are just reactionary actions.

According to the Vice President, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says Africa’s contributions to energy in the world is just 4% and access is 8%, but access in Africa has overpowered the megawatts generated citing the goings-on in South Africa as an example.

He, however, noted that Compact 2 and power badges being considered and implemented by government were responses and strategies government was providing to curb the power outages permanently.

Also, the event saw in attendance the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Nana Oye Lithur.

She disclosed that cabinet had adopted a Social Protection Policy, which will be rolled out in the country soon.

She further announced that 94,000 people were benefitting from Livelihood Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation Programme (LEAP), adding that United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was putting 6,006 women on LEAP to alleviate malnutrition.

Mrs. Lithur told the gathering that a database and policies for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and volunteers had been prepared awaiting the roll out.

It was also evident that Department for Social Welfare has registered 636,000 NGOs who ply their trade in education, poverty alleviation, women empowerment, food security, climate change among others.

According to the gender, children and social protection minister, government was commitment to reducing poverty and gender-based inequality and violence with the help of civil society organisations (CSOs), adding that the recent closure of the Moyaase Witch Camp was “one great partnership” with ActionAid Ghana.