As part of measures to resolve complaints presented by consumers of utilities, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has brought together stakeholders to rally ideas to have a quality delivery of service in a consumer service clinic.
The Commission says it has made attempts to resolve complaints brought in by both consumers and utility providers.
The Greater Accra Regional Manager of the Commision, Mrs. Gifty Bruce Nelson, who made this known at the consumer service clinic revealed that a little about GH¢600,000 has been recovered in favour of consumers.
Speaking at the consumer service clinic, the Greater Accra Regional Manager of PURC, Madam Gifty Bruce Nelson maintains that the Commission is working assiduously in favour of consumers.
“As a result of settlement meetings and interventions from PURC, customers had an adjustment, and they had GH¢599 657.48 in their favour as a result of adjustment that was passed on their behalf between the period of January to August 2022”.
“Some of them complained of high bills and when the investigation commenced, and we saw this after the repeal”.
“Not only did the customers benefit, the utility providers also had over four hundred and seventy-seven thousand cedi as recovery from activities such as illegal connections for the same period”.
She also reiterated the fact that the Commission mounts surveillance and monitoring activities so that issues of rights and responsibilities of clients are ensured.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Stanley Martey said his outfit has been able to resolve almost all the complaints presented to his out as it has moved to digital billing.
“We are changing most of our mechanical metres into digital metres. These electronic metres have a lot of backgrounds. We are billing our customers electronically; we are receiving our bills on our cell phones. Very soon we will have the paper bills out, and we will have the electronic bills”.
The General Manager of Regulations Management of the Electricity Company of Ghana says customers can prosecute ECG if it fails in its mandate of resolving complaints.
“If within 10 working days after lodging a complaint and nobody is getting back to you, the courts are there to use. PURC is there to hold us by the horn, I mean to put us to the task, for you are paying for the service”.
She revealed that ECG has been able to resolve 94.4% of the total complains received within the period between January and June.
