Ghana will make a paradigm shift from fuel-generated power supply to renewable energy-generated power supply under my government,' the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has promised. The move intends to cut down cost of power production, reduce power supply interruptions and burden on consumers, strengthen the Ghana Cedi against the major trading currencies and enhance foreign exchange reserves for the country for increased productivity and sustainable development. 'I want to bring down the cost of electricity, and to do this, I will shift Ghana from fuel-generated power to solar-generated power. '…so, I want us to bring in 2,000 megawatts of solar power in the first four years of my government; and that is about half of our consumption, and we can reduce the cost of power by 15 percent if we move in this direction,' he said. Interacting with the clergy in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, as part of his nationwide campaign tour, the Dr Bawumia, who is the 2024 Presidential Candidate of the New Pat riotic Party, noted that such a paradigm shift will also empower local companies to produce resilient solar panels for export to other countries. 'When we move into solar power supply, we should not be satisfied with that, I want Ghana to start manufacturing solar panels as well, then supplies to other West African countries,' he added. On government expenditure, Dr Bawumia indicated that in the first four years of his government, expenditure on Gross Domestic Product would be reduced by three per cent (equivalent to GHC30 billion). To this end, he said if elected President, his government would work to create a conducive environment for the private sector to thrive, create jobs and drive the local economy. 'The so much expenditure that government suffers is due to the fact that government tries to do much, and it doesn't have the resources to do all that but if the private sector is incentivised, they can do a lot more to support government,' he said. The NPP flagbearer has also interacted with leaders of the Muslim Community, the House of Chiefs, and the youth among other stakeholders to share his vision and policies with them to solicit their votes on December 7, 2024. Source: Ghana News Agency