By Maxwell Awumah, GNA
Ho, March 3, GNA – The Volta Regional Directorate of the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has resorted to court action to redeem mounting arrears from its customer unpaid bills over the period.
GWL has exhausted several non-legal approaches, including repeated reminders and field visits, yet many customers remained unwilling to honour their bills, necessitating the court’s action.
“To clear our arrears level and ensure the Company runs effectively, we have resorted to taking indebted customers to court,” Mr Emmanuel A. Johnson, Chief Manager of the GWL has stated, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.
According to him, the court rulings presided over by Mr Albert Annor Owusu, pronounced costs awarded against defaulting customers, with penalties ranging between GHs1,500 and GHS2,000, in addition to directing them to settle all outstanding debts.
He said the courts also issued cautionary notices, signaling that habitual non-payment of water bills would no longer be tolerated, especially at a time, when revenue performance was under significant pressure.
He emphasised that the legal enforcement exercise would continue throughout the region, adding that it formed part of broader efforts to strengthen revenue mobilisation and secure the Company’s ability to maintain and expand its distribution infrastructure.
He said the Company’s arrears portfolio remained heavily concentrated within a specific customer group. “It is obvious that the chunk of our arrears continues to come from domestic (611) customers, and this must be tackled with the upmost urgency,” he emphasised.
He disclosed that total arrears had reached GHS19,104,649, out of which GHS16,699,023 came from private customers spread across multiple districts in the region.
A detailed breakdown revealed that category (611) domestic customers owed GHS12,108,775.43 (63.37%), while category 612 commercial customers owed GHS3,268,085 (17.11%), MDAs GHS405,445 (12.59%), 643 customers GHS332,422 (1.74%), and category 615 customers GHS562,403 (2.94%).
Mr Johnson therefore appealed to all customers to cooperate by paying their bills promptly to avoid legal consequences and to support the sustainability of water supply services across the Ho enclave and beyond.
GNA
Edited by: George-Ramsey Benamba