By Victoria Agyemang
Cape Coast, Sept 24, GNA – The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has resolved 90 per cent of the 1,200 complaints received from utility consumers in the Central Region, Dr Shafic Suleman, the Executive Director of the Commission has disclosed.
The complaints, which largely concerned the supply and quality of electricity and water services, were addressed through investigations, and engagements with utility service providers and other regulatory interventions.
The Executive Director disclosed this when he visited the Central Region to assess the state of water and electricity supply and engage stakeholders on challenges confronting consumers and utility providers.
He said the visit formed part of the Commission’s efforts to obtain first-hand information on the challenges consumers were facing and ensure that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and Ghana Water Limited (GWL) responded appropriately to complaints.
According to him, the high rate of complaint resolution demonstrated PURC’s commitment to protecting the interests of consumers while ensuring accountability among utility service providers.
He said the remaining complaints were at various stages of investigation and resolution, noting that some cases required further technical assessment and engagement with the affected utility companies.
The Commission has resolved transformer issues within 11 communities including Ekumfi Edukuma, Agona, Anomabo Hasowodze, Gomoamaim among others.
It was hoping to establish a satellite office at Agona Swedru to help improve service delivery within the Region.
The Director noted that illegal mining around its Sekyere-Hemang plant continuously affected its operations and cautioned perpetrators to end the practice.
To avoid shortage of water supply in the coming months due to dry weather, he urged the GWL to continuously dredge the intake point to ensure uninterrupted water supply.
The Executive Director said the PURC would continue to monitor the operations of the ECG and the GWL in the region to identify persistent challenges and facilitate their resolution.
He urged consumers who experienced challenges with electricity or water services, particularly billing, metering, power outages, water interruptions and other service-related issues, to report them to PURC for redress.
The Commission, established under the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 (Act 538) is mandated to regulate the provision of electricity and water utility services and protect the interests of consumers and utility service providers.
To avoid unaware shortage of water in the Region, the Director asked the GWL to provide a timetable of water supply within the Region to help consumers plan their activities accordingly.
The Executive Director also called for stronger collaboration between consumers, utility companies and the Commission to improve the quality and reliability of utility services in the region.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey/Benjamin Mensah