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The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) have recovered GH₡28,000.00 from consumers in the Upper East and North East Regions in 2024.
Out of the figure, an amount of GH₡3,000.00 went to the GWL while the NEDCo also recovered GH₡25,000.00. This was because of the intervention of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) after the service providers laid complaints with the Commission about the indebtedness of the consumers.
Additionally, an amount of GH₡22,642.98 has been paid to customers in the form of adjustments by the service providers after the intervention of the PURC. Mr Pius Ikililu Abdulai, the Upper East Regional Complaint Resolution Officer of the PURC revealed these in Bolgatanga during a media engagement, organised by the Commission.
The meeting was part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between the Commission and the media in the region to help drive home the activities of the Commission to improve service delivery to consumers. Mr Abdulai, at the performance said the Commission in the region received 639 complaints in 2024, of which it was able to resolve 619 of them, representing 96.9 per cent. “Most of the complaints were against NEDCo with 600 complaints being lodged against them but we have been able to resolve 96.7 percent while 30 complaints were also lodged against GWL in which all were resolved.
“There were also nine complaints that were lodged against consumers which we were able to resolve,” he added. Through the presence and public sensitisation, the Commission had been carrying out, it had helped to improve service delivery, adding that it was evident in the reduction in the number of complaints from 884 complaints in 2023 to 639 complaints in 2024. Apart from that, Mr Abdulai said through the intervention of the Commission eight transformers, 50 electricity poles and one meter were replaced in 2024, and this had impacted significantly on the lives and livelihoods of consumers.
He reiterated the commitment of the Commission to intensify its sensitisation drive to increase public awareness and their right to demand improved services. Mr Seth Kponyo, the Upper East Regional Manager of PURC, noted that the PURC in the region had been working to help improve service delivery and underscored the need for strengthened media collaboration to achieve maximum impact. He said while the Commission would intensify education, it had produced jingles in three local languages (Gurune, Kasem and Mampruli) to help better educate the public.
The PURC, established in October 1997 as part Government of Ghana’s utility sector reforms process, under the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act 1997, Act 538, as multisector regulator to regulate the provision of electricity and water utility services. This among other things is to ensure cordial relationship between the utility service providers and their consumers.
The PURC begun operations in the Upper East Region in 2022 and has worked to resolve complaints and improved service delivery. In 2022, through the intervention of the Commission, the GWL and NEDCo were able to recover GH₡332,267.70 from consumers while GH₡26,538.23 adjustments were made in favour of customers in the Upper East Region.
Again, through the help of the Commission, 35 broken poles, 10 transformers were replaced while 10 new service connections which had delayed were resolved. In 2023, through the intervention of the PURC, GH₡2,051.41 adjustments were made in favour of customers and 74 broken poles, 10 transformers were replaced while 13 delayed new service connections were also resolved successfully.
Source: GNA
