Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) says Senior High and Technical Schools in Eastern Region owe over nine(9) million cedis unpaid accumulated bills.
The Eastern regional office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) said last week that some 48 Senior High Schools in the Region were identified to be indebted to Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for a total of One Million two hundred and ninety-eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-seven cedis ( Ghc1,298,867 ) unpaid bills.
GWCL per LI 2413 Regulation 9(1A) lodged complaints against the schools at the Eastern Regional Office of Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC).
The intervention of PURC has led to the recovery of three hundred and twenty-six thousand, and Ninety-three cedis (Ghc326,093).
GWCL said the actual debts owe by over 100 Senior High and Technical schools in the region amount to over 9 million cedis.
According to the state water distribution company, the debts are affecting the financial standings of the company.
It says all efforts to retrieve monies have been difficult as headmasters in various schools say the government is responsible for payment as part of the free Senior High School grants but not forthcoming.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Regional Office of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) says that based on the Commission’s mandate of receiving, investigating and settling disputes between consumers and utility service providers, it received 324 complaints against Ghana Water Company Limited(GWCL) and Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) during the first quarter of 2023 which 311 representing resolution percentage of 95.98% was achieved.
The 13 outstanding complaints are at various stages of resolution.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, the Eastern Regional Manager of PURC Jude Aduamoah -Addo explained that 274 of the 324 complaints were against ECG while 50 were against GWCL.
175 complaints representing 55% were received from customers via electronic means particularly WhatsApp platforms created across the region.
The complaints were about billing, payment, poor quality of service, metering, disconnection, damaged properties and consumer service.
Customers.
Complaints of disputed bills reported to PURC by three(3) customers against ECG during the period amounted to twenty-seven thousand nine hundred and sixteen Ghana cedis (27,916).
Due to the intervention of the Commission, ECG passed an adjustment of twenty-seven thousand two hundred and sixty- eight Ghana cedis (27,268) leaving an outstanding balance of six hundred and Forty-Eight Ghana cedis (Ghc648) for the customers to pay.
PURC has declared 2023 the year of “operational efficiency” aimed at ensuring a balance between quality of service delivery and revenue recovery to help both providers and consumers commit to their social contracts.
Jude Aduamoah-Addo, Eastern regional manager of PURC urged ECG and GWCL to speed up response time to addressing complaints of customers particularly during the weekend.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
