By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah
Nungua, Oct 02, GNA— Some residents in Nungua and Tema have called on the Public Utilities Regulation Commission (PURC) to charge the Ghana Water Company (GWC) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to improve their customer service engagement.
They said this would help them prepare ahead of the limited supply of water and electricity by the companies, noting that customer service engagement through prompt communication would go a long way to building and strengthening ties between the companies and their customers.
They told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a random survey that it was unfair for the service providers not to inform the public of challenges in their supply, saying that there were times the taps would be closed for more than a week without any information from the providers, yet they continue to increase their tariffs.
Some lamented that the companies embarking on maintenance works and curtailing supply without communicating it to their customers was disheartening and must be addressed with immediate effect, calling on the companies to treat their customers well.
Mr Richard Doe, a pharmacist, stated, “My wife and I come home late, so there is no way we will say we are going to search for water in the evening, and the most annoying thing is that GWC will not inform us that there is a challenge; they just close the taps. Our lights continue to go off, but they do not deem it fit to inform us when they need to put it off yet they are always increasing tariffs.”
Ms Abigail Asamoah, a teacher, said, “It is frustrating to wake up only to realise the taps are not flowing, and it’s funny how no communication on such issues is becoming normal; they need to sit up; sometimes I have to pack gallons in my car, go out and search for water for the family before we bathe and go to work and take the children to school; by the time you get to work, you’re tired. How will I be productive at work?”
Mr Kingsley Angson, an electrician, said, “The problem in this country is from top to bottom; nothing is working; why should we struggle over necessities? For me, I always say, Unless I do not get the chance, I will leave and become a houseboy in a country where the laws are working; how can you continue to increase the price with such poor services?”
Mrs Sheila Tetteh, a cosmetic dealer, indicated that “as for GWC and ECG, the less said about them the better; they behave like they are doing us a favour by doing their work; it’s funny, but this is Ghana; seriousness is not in the blood of anybody.”
“I have an uncle in Teshie, so I go there every day to visit and use that as an opportunity to fetch water. Roaming and searching to buy water is not easy, and if getting water to drink is now a struggle, then I do not know what we will be struggling for tomorrow,” she further said.
Mr Richie Abakah, a mason, stated, “It was frustrating how these companies could put off the light and close tap without any explanation; the government must also begin sacking some of their leaders to set the pace for others to do the right thing.”
Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has announced an increase in electricity and water tariffs for the third quarter of 2024, with a 3.02 per cent hike in electricity and a 1.86 per cent rise in water, effective October 1.
GNA