...Organises forum to address utility challenges in Koforidua
A forum to address the growing frustrations of utility consumers, as well as strengthen regulatory compliance within the utility sector, has been held at the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua.
The utility sector comprises the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Limited (GWL).
The forum was organised by the Eastern Region Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) under the Legal Directorate of the PURC on consumer issues and enforcement processes.
Attendees, including representatives from the ECG, GWL, GNFS and consumers, deliberated on various issues relating to electricity and water services in the region with the view to addressing inherent challenges.
Collaboration
In his opening address, the Director for Water Services and Performance Monitoring of the PURC, Emmanuel Nartey Wayo Fiati, said compliance by the utilities with the PURC’s legislation instruments (LI.2413) would strengthen collaboration and build trust among the PURC, ECG, GWL, as well as the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and utility consumers.
He indicated that the forum had served as a platform for addressing issues which had been identified by the commission during its monitoring exercises by consumers and utility service providers.
LI. 2413
Mr Fiati highlighted the commission's consumer services regulations as contained in its LI. 2413, highlighting consumer rights, utility obligations, new service connections, metering-related issues and the urgent need to rebuild trust between utility service providers and the public through intensive educational campaigns.
Damaged properties
Mr Fiati advised the GNFS to ensure that all reports on damaged properties through fire outbreaks were detailed for assessment, analysis and resolution of such complaints.
He also urged utility service providers to monitor their electrical lines to resolve complaints on time to prevent escalation and to bridge the credibility gap between service providers and consumers.
Illegal activities
He further stated that illegal connections and meter theft continued to affect revenue, increase expenditure costs, delay infrastructure projects and negatively impact power supply.
He also mentioned assaults on staff by consumers, power outages, billing system problems and unpaid debt from old tenants of households and some of the challenges affecting service providers.
Staff of the GNFS also stated that inadequate fire hydrants and poor maintenance of the hydrants had been their main challenges.
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