The Volta River Authority (VRA) has been charged to prioritise people, the planet and profit.

This is because, people, the planet and profit took centre stage of businesses worldwide for which reason activities revolving around those factors should be ones that enhanced them and not deteriorated them, Professor Kwasi Amponsah Tawiah of the University of Ghana, has said

Prof Tawiah, who is the Department of the Organisation and Human Resource Management (OHRM), was speaking in Accra yesterday when the Authority marked its Safety Awareness Day.

Dubbed: “VRA in the Era of COVID-19: Our Business Sustainability,” the day had been set aside to reflect on the importance of well-being of all and sundry, particularly in the work environment.

Indicating that COVID-19 had had devastating impacts on all sectors globally, he noted that the power sector was the engine of the global economy, supplying electricity to all other sectors as goods and services depended on it.

Prof Tawiah indicated that leveraging profits, people and the planet was the best way to ensure the sustainability of businesses.

In doing so, he encouraged the Authority to “enhance the value placed on safety and health, accelerate automation and digitisation and ensure proper policy framework for remote work.”

Prof Tawiah further urged management and staff of the Authority to prioritise their lives saying, “you only have your jobwhen you have your life; somebody will do your job when you are no more.”

Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, Chief Executive of the VRA, noted that masking up was better and more comfortable than using the ventilator for which reason people had to do the right thing in order to save their lives.

He stated that the theme was timely and relevant as it reflected the devastating impact of COVID-19 on businesses globally and the Authority’s resolve in ensuring sustainability.

“Our theme which is appropriate, especially when we consider the devastating effect of the covid-19 pandemic on lives and businesses globally, particularly, within the context of our efforts towards growth and sustainability,” he stated.

Mr Antwi-Darkwa also urged management and staff of the Authority to keep up their commitment of strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols to ensure their lives and jobs were sustained.

The Deputy Chief Executive, Engineering and Operations, VRA, Mr Emmanuel Dankwa Osafo, said the Authority in the coming year would convert Akosombo into a “Smart City.”

He said it was to optimise functions and promote economic growth while improving the quality of life of citizens by using smart technologies in the area.

“We are converting Akosombo into a smart city; we want to make IT drive the town because we want to leverage on IT, digitalisation and have an IT hub in the place.

When you enter Akosombo, you don’t need to do anything as everything will be on your machine. We want the place to be the first smart city in West Africa,” Mr Osafo stated.

The Deputy Chief Executive said the Authority had the responsibility of sustaining its business as other businesses depended on it.

He also used the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to mask up and observe all other Covid protocol in order to keep alive.