The Ashanti Regional Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, PURC, has concluded a consumer engagement exercise in 10 selected communities across the region to assess service delivery by the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana Water Company Limited.
The selected communities for the exercise which took place on July 31, are Nkawie, Esereso Adagya, IPT, Afrancho Krobo, Bremang UGC, Afrancho Bronkong, Ashanti Agogo, Kwadaso Estate, Mankranso, and Tafo Mile 4.
These areas were prioritized due to persistent complaints from the consuming public regarding a deterioration in power and water supply.
The engagements enabled the Commission to interact with both residential and industrial consumers to get a broad perspective on service delivery challenges at the household and business levels.
During the engagement, consumers were interviewed on key service areas, including supply reliability, issuance and delivery of monthly bills, available payment options, and the timeliness and attitude of utility staff in responding to complaints.
Beyond data collection, the PURC also used the opportunity to educate consumers on their rights and obligations as enshrined in the regulations governing the electricity and water sectors. Contact leaflets with PURC hotlines and office details were distributed to consumers to facilitate future engagements and easy reporting of complaints and general inquiries
Complaints received from consumers during the exercise have been documented for investigation and facilitation of resolution.
Speaking on the outcome, the Commission noted that the exercise has helped to identify key supply bottlenecks affecting consumers in the selected communities. These include intermittent outages, low voltage, irregular billing, and poor communication on planned outages and revenue mobilization activities.
The PURC stated that it will engage directly with ECG and GWL to address the identified challenges, bring relief to the consuming public in the affected areas, and improve overall service delivery.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that utility service providers meet regulatory standards and that consumers are treated fairly, while also being informed about their roles in ensuring efficient utility use and payment.
By Benjamin Aidoo
