A recent video circulating online has stirred up strong emotions among social media users.
The video captures an elderly woman expressing her dismay over a substantial bill issued by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which has left netizens shocked.
In the footage, the woman, speaking in the local Ewe dialect, is visibly upset as she questions the exorbitant charges.
She explains that she only uses two light bulbs and nothing more, making her unable to comprehend the steep bill amount.
“I don’t understand this bill. This is not what I used to pay. I have 2 light bulbs so how come I am being charged this much,” she laments. “It’s that bad, I am not working, nobody is helping me, I don’t have such huge amounts, and moreover, my children are not feeding me. I don’t know what to do. This bill is too much.”
The video has sparked a wave of reactions on Twitter, with many expressing sympathy for the woman’s plight and calling for action to address the situation.
The Mines and Energy Committee member of Parliament, Edward Bawa, has expressed skepticism regarding the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) complying with the directives issued by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
The PURC has set a deadline of March 27 for the ECG to publish a load management timetable and fulfil other demands.
One of the directives required the ECG to settle all power producers under the waterfall cash mechanism by March 25, a deadline that has already passed.
Additionally, the PURC has mandated the ECG to submit a comprehensive report on tariff revenue allocation, regulatory audit data, and operational matters by April 2, 2024.
Edward Bawa criticised the ECG’s management for disrespecting Parliament and the Ghanaian public, highlighting the ECG’s refusal to appear before the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament.
“ECG refused to appear before the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament. Just in line with how this government operates, ECG had the arrogance to look in the face of Parliament and refused to come.
“As a Minority, we have made our case… that was on Tuesday and on Wednesday, the House went on break. But some of us have said that when we come back to Parliament, we are going to cite ECG for contempt. You cannot look in the faces of the people’s representatives and say ‘to hell with you’.
“For Mahama to do what he is doing, it is because he is backed by very powerful people and unless we accept that there is a problem, we cannot address it. We have a very irresponsible government who has also appointed a very indisciplined, and to some extent a disrespectful management led by the board chairman Keli Gadzekpo and the Chief Executive Officer Dubik Mahama, who simply cannot care about the consumer as long as everyday they get whatever they want in life,” Edward Bawa stated.
He indicated the intention to pursue a contempt citation against the ECG upon Parliament’s return, emphasising the need for accountability and responsibility from the ECG’s leadership.
On the other hand, Energy Minister Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh opposed the release of a load-shedding timetable, describing it as wishing harm upon the country.
“Let those who want the timetable bring it. I don’t know of any timetable because the ECG has said it is not necessary. Why would someone just wish evil for the country?” he asked.
This stance drew condemnation from some Ghanaians who called into a radio show, expressing frustration over erratic power supply and the lack of a clear timetable for planning purposes.
Despite backlash, the Energy Ministry clarified that the Minister’s comments were misinterpreted, while social media users expressed outrage over the Minister’s suggestion for consumers to create their own load shedding timetable.
Samuel Dubik Mahama outlined a number of reasons leading to the shortfalls in the ongoing high billing charges.
“I agree that there has been an increase in people’s bills, I am at fault. There are a number of reasons to blame such as a number of metres haven’t been read, some haven’t been registered into the system, we accept blame for everything.
Despite accepting blame, he points to recent government tariffs exceeding 70% as a significant factor contributing to the surge in electricity charges.
“We accept blame for the current spikes in billing our consumers, this is as a result of the current digital reform we are undertaking,” Samuel Dubik stated.
In an effort to address customer concerns, Dubik urged consumers to visit designated ECG offices for prompt resolution of billing challenges.
However, he emphasised that consumers should also take responsibility for their energy conservation practices, including checking home wiring and earthing, factors that impact electricity consumption and subsequent bills.
“The tariffs have gone up above 70 percent, hence the tariffs have a major role to play in these recent charges also the consumers’ energy conservation at home will also reflect how much you will pay, check the wiring, earthing and come over the office so we check the metre for you.”
While Samuel Dubik encouraged customers to download the ECG app for streamlined issue resolution, he reiterated the importance of consumers actively participating in the process.
“Download the app, click on the fix the bill on the top menu corner, send the metre reading, if it’s been a long time we have had a metre reading we can rectify it.”
By using the app, customers can submit metre readings and follow necessary instructions to rectify billing discrepancies, especially if there has been a prolonged absence of meter readings.
Samuel Dubik Masubir assured the public that ongoing reforms are underway to rectify any issue, emphasising the commitment of the ECG to enhance its services.
During an interview on Peace FM, Samuel Dubik Masubir expressed the organisation’s dedication to improving customer satisfaction through the reform process.
“I am pleading with everyone, we want to serve our customers better, that’s why we are initiating the reform process,” he stated, urging understanding and patience from the public.
Highlighting the importance of efficiency in the reform process, Samuel Dubik stressed that enhanced customer service satisfaction would ultimately streamline the revenue collection process for the ECG.
He encouraged consumers facing issues with the billing system or experiencing high charges to approach the company for resolution.
“If you have a customer or you are serving a customer and they are not satisfied with the service you provide, taking money from them is very complex. We are pleading with our consumers that if there are issues with the billing system, or they have high billing charges, they can come to us to resolve it.”
Addressing the shift to digital meter reading, Samuel Dubik mentioned the adoption of a device that allows for efficient and accurate billing. “Now we have gone digital, we use a device to come and read your bills, we read it digitally through a camera and we take your GPS location. We can correct the bill on the spot and can be given to you instantly,” he explained.
In conclusion, Samuel Dubik Mahama appealed for public patience, assuring that the ECG is dedicated to serving the public more efficiently and effectively through the ongoing reforms.
Samuel Dubik revealed that he receives numerous calls and invitations into his home from people seeking explanations for the persistent power outages, some of which are attributed to the exhaustion of ECG prepaid credits rather than genuine electricity issues.
“I was telling my father recently that now I hardly attend public functions, I don’t go to church because when there is a lights out, everyone comes looking for me. Some are not genuinely lights out but just their ECG prepaid exhausting,” Samuel Dubik stated in an interview on Peace FM.
During the same interview, Samuel Dubik highlighted the significant growth in ECG app users since he assumed office in 2022, noting a remarkable increase from 250,000 to 3.5 million registered users.
He acknowledged the challenges faced by consumers, particularly the recent spikes in billing, attributing them to ongoing reforms within ECG.
“We accept blame for the current spikes in billing our consumers; this is a result of the current reform we are undertaking,” stated Samuel Dubik as he shed light on the company’s efforts to modernize its operations.”
Samuel Dubik has therefore entreated Ghanaians to be patient as there are ongoing works to restore the power company’s operations back to normal.
Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has expressed his resignation in the search for the company’s stolen vehicles.
According to him, his outfit has been assisting the Police Service to locate and retrieve the vehicles.
Mr Mahama, who was updating the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on the progress of the investigation into the robbery incident, added that his Director of Legal Affairs made contact with the Police about four months ago to ascertain the status of the investigation.
“We have reported the matter to the police. We have assisted the police in their investigations. They are going to wrap up and then advise us accordingly.”
“Where I sit as the Managing Director, I’ll just say I am not looking forward to receiving those vehicles again. I’m just waiting for the final report of the Ghana Police Service on the matter,” he said.
Briefing the Committee on how the vehicles got stolen, the ECG Managing Director said that “the full investigative report is not here, but it was taken from the person at gunpoint …at different times, not all at the same time.”
Mr Mahama noted that none of the drivers involved in the robbery incident got injured.
He, however, told the Committee that he is certain that the drivers are still employees of the company but are not assigned to drive.
Commenting on whether it was coincidental for all the three vehicles to be snatched at gunpoint, Mr Mahama said, “It didn’t happen on the same day, it happened around different times. There’s time-space in different locations. I think two of them were at gunpoint, and one, the vehicle was parked at home.”
Background
Three vehicles belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) were snatched at gunpoint in the Ashanti region.
The vehicles, including a Toyota Landcruiser, were stolen by gunmen under strange circumstances.
The separate incidents that took place last year are yet to be solved by the Police.
A reliable government source has confirmed that there will be no shutdown of power plants following the deadline set for Independent Power Producers (IPPs). The government source reiterated the commitment to maintaining a stable power supply to meet the energy needs of the nation, even as negotiations with the IPPs continue.
A highly placed source close to the government has given the assurance that there will be no power outages as a result of power plants being shutdown by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) by the end of June 2023 contrary to such speculations in the media.
This comes on the back of threats from the Chamber of IPPs that members will shut down their plants if the government fails to clear debts owed them.
According to the Chamber, the government owes members more than $1.4 billion out of a total of $ 2 billion in energy sector debt, which makes it difficult to keep their plants on.
They have asked the government to pay thirty percent of the debt owed members or risk a shutdown of plants indefinitely after June 30. This threat was due to the government’s failure to commence payment negotiations with the IPPs.
A couple of weeks ago, Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama said his outfit is leading talks with the Independent Power Producers to avoid a possible shutdown of the power plants. JoyNews source closes to the presidency has confirmed that indeed the talks have started, and already yielding the desired results.
“ECG has reached an agreement with at least Aksa power generation and Karpower. They won’t shut down their plants. ECG is making progress with the remaining Independent Power Producers and it will be difficult to foresee a power plant shutdown after the expiration of their June 30 deadline. In fact, there won’t be any shutdown by the end of June”, the source said.
Capacity charges
The source also revealed that the negotiation currently being undertaken by the ECG is corroborating the government’s position that capacity charges are largely to blame for a chunk of the debt in Ghana’s energy sector.
“After the negotiation with Karpower for example, out of the $320 million that ECG owed them, it is only 40% that is as a result of energy consumed. The rest is for capacity charges”, the source noted.
The Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have reiterated to the Finance Ministry their plan to halt power supply to the national grid starting from July 1, 2023.
“We refer to our letters dated March 27, 2023 and May 25, 2023 with reference number IPGG/1/2023 and IPGG/2/2023 addressed to the Minister [Finance] by which the IPP Chamber stressed the urgent necessity for the government to prioritise payment of the outstanding arrears owed to members of the IPP Chamber to enable the IPPs to cover critical operational costs required to continue operations and pay overdue debt service”, it disclosed in a statement to the Finance Minister.
The decision to cut power was reached during an emergency meeting held on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
The Chamber of Independent Power Producers has been urging the government to make an interim payment of 30% of the outstanding arrears owed to each IPP by June 20, 2023. However, their appeals have reportedly been disregarded by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to the IPPs, members of the IPP Chamber are now at a point where they are unable to persuade their creditors, contractors, contractors, and other key stakeholders to further defer payments owed to them and to continue operations.
It therefore urged the government and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and other stakeholders to treat this reminder with the urgency it deserves and take the steps necessary to obviate such a situation.
President Akufo-Addo has reassured the nation that Ghana will never experience the return of “Dumsor,” a term used to describe the erratic power supply that plagued the country in previous years.
According to the president, under his government, electricity is no longer a privilege in Ghana like it was before he came to power.
Akufo-Addo, who made these remarks at the commissioning of a 161-kilovolt GRIDCo, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Bulk Power Supply Point, could not help but jab his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama, who he accused of being responsible for ‘dumsor’.
“Our daily lives, from simple things such as charging our mobile phones, and keeping our electrical appliances working, to operating our offices and businesses, are run by electric power.
“Electricity is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity in this day and age, and we must commit ourselves to working hard to ensure that we achieve universal coverage in this country in order to spur on rapid rates of economic growth,”
“… I wish to reassure you all that my government will continue to work towards “Keeping the Lights on”, in spite of the global dynamics of energy pricing, because the alternative is not an option. We are not going back to dumsor, we leave that to President Mahama,” he said.
On the 161-kilovolt GRIDCo, ECG Bulk Power Supply Point, which was constructed under the Project for the Reinforcement of Power Supply to Accra Central, Akufo Addo said that it (the supply point) would help ensure the heart of the nation, Accra, keeps beating.
“It is evident that the execution of the Accra Central BSP project is consistent with the country’s power needs and development, with a GDP growth rate of up to fifteen per cent (15%) around the time of project preparation,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “The project we are commissioning today is a one hundred and sixty-one kilo-Volt Bulk Supply Point, which delivers on the government’s commitment to “Keep the Lights On”. It also guarantees stable, reliable and regular supply of electricity for the busy and bustling Accra Central Business District and surrounding areas.”
About Accra Central Bulk Supply Point:
This Bulk Supply Point is a gas-insulated sub-station, which is GRIDCo’s first sub-station with such technology. This is an innovation in technology applied in areas where spaces are significantly limited, thus large capacity switchgear and transformers, which are compact, can be installed.
The benefits of this Accra Central Bulk Supply Point, amongst many others, are to reduce transmission and distribution losses, ensure high reliability of electricity supply, and ensure a high level of personnel safety.
With the operationalisation of the Accra Central BSP, power voltages have become stable (protecting valuable equipment), power supply reliability has improved, and, with this, efficiency has been restored, reducing system losses as required by the regulator, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has justified its decision to adjust tariffs in the second quarter of 2023.
According to the commission, the move is needed to sustain the operations of the various companies in the production and distribution chain of electricity.
“The second quarter tariff decision of 18.36% for electricity helps to fully recover 100% of the inflationary effect, 100% of the gas price effect and 50% of the exchange rate effect” the commission said in a statement.
The PURC adjusted tariff for the second Quarter Tariff Decision of the Commission, which is expected to take effect from June 1, 2023 .
Explanation of the June 1st, 2023 Quarterly Tariff Adjustment
With the recently announced quarterly tariff decision, the electricity utilities are to recoup an amount of GHS1.3149 billion over the next quarter. This is to help purchase fuel to generate power, transmit, distribute and continuously serve consumers. To recover the full amount, electricity tariffs should have been increased by 27.51%. However, given the approved tariff of 18.36%, an amount of GHS877.70 million will be recovered, leaving a balance of GHS437.22 million to be recovered. On the other hand, the amount to be recovered through the water tariff is GHS 650,267,161 million.
This brings us to the reasons for the recoveries. In other words, what and why are we recovering?
The first is the price of natural gas.
In the first quarter tariff decision, Jubilee Oil Field contributed 32.7% of gas, Sankofa contributed approximately 51.8%, while Nigeria Gas (N-Gas) contributed 15.1%. Gas from the Jubilee Field was priced at USD 0.5/mmbtu, Sankofa was at USD 6.6272/mmbtu, while N-Gas was priced at USD 8.1510/mmbtu in the weighted average cost of gas (WACOG).
For the second quarter tariff decision, the contribution of Jubilee Field reduced marginally to 32.2%, whiles Sankofa increased to 53.9%. This reflects changes in the quantity of Natural Gas received from both fields.
The price of N-Gas on the other hand, increased from USD 8.1510/mmbtu to USD 8.6641/mmbtu, reflecting an upward change in price.
The overall implication is that the weighted average cost of gas which was USD 6.0952/mmbtu in the first quarter now increased to USD 6.5165/mmbtu in the second quarter. representing an increase of 6.9%.
Since gas prices are a pass-through cost, it is imperative that we should pay the gas price differential to enable the power producers to generate enough power for consumption. Thus, the percentage increase of 6.9% had to be passed through the tariff.
The second variable is the Exchange Rate.
The projected exchange rate used for the first quarter tariff decision (that is February to April) was GHS 8.6816 to the USDollar. Meanwhile, the actual exchange rate for that same period was GHS 10.9507 to the US Dollar. This led to an exchange rate under-recovery of GHS 2.2690.
It is important to note that all Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are denominated in US Dollars. This means ECG buys power in US Dollars, but sells in Ghana Cedis. The implication is that any under-recoveries with the exchange rate threatens the utility’s ability to procure and sell power. This also threatens the ability of the power generators to procure fuel for generation. Thus, the exchange rate has to be recovered.
Additionally, the Commission only passed on 75% of the exchange rate under-recovery, which was experienced between September 2022 and January 2023 in the first quarter tariff decision. The remaining 25% which is equivalent to GHS 0.6202 had to be recovered. This means that for the second quarter tariff decision, that 25% equivalent to GHS 0.6202 from September 2022 to January 2023 period plus the previous quarter under-recovery of GHS 2.2690 has to be recovered.
The Commission however, considered the present economic circumstances of Ghanaians and Industry, and decided to recover the GHS 0.6202 under-recovery from September 2022 to January 2023 period, plus 50% of the GHS 2.2690, which is GHS1.1345 under-recovery of the previous quarter, which comes up to GHS 1.7547 (1.1345+0.6202) to be recovered.
Finally, the projected exchange rate for the next quarter (June to August) is GHS 10.9571 to the US Dollar. If the under-recovery of GHS 1.7547 of the previous quarter is added to the projected exchange rate of GHS 10.9571, the applicable exchange rate amounts to GHS 12.7118 to the US Dollar. Since only 50% of the exchange rate effect is being recovered, it means, an equivalent of GHS 437 million has been effectively passed on to the next quarter.
The third variable for consideration is the Hydro-Thermal mix.
The hydro-thermal mix used for the second quarter is 29.01% for hydro, and 70.99% for thermal; as against 26.11% for hydro and 73.89% for thermal used for the first quarter tariff decision. The increased hydro allocation of 29.01% helped to reduce the potential tariff by about 2.5%. This means that without the increased hydro allocation, the tariff would have gone up by an additional 2.5%.
The final variable is Inflation.
The projected inflation figure for the year, was 42.63%. If this figure is divided into four quarters, that amounts to an inflation rate of 10.66% per quarter.
The average actual inflation for the first quarter was 50.47%. Again, if this is divided by four, we get an inflation figure of 12.62%. This means that the inflation effect for the second quarter will be 12.62% – 10.66% which is 1.96. This figure is that which was considered in the second quarter tariff decision.
Amanfrom, Tetegu, and other of the Greater Accra Region, will experience a power cut today, Thursday, May 25, 2023 as a result of a planned maintenance exercise to be carried out by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The Electricity Company of Ghana in a press statement Wednesday announced that it is undertaking planned maintenance on Thursday which will affect power flow to some areas.
The outage is expected to last from 9 am to 4 pm.
“ECG regrets the inconvenience that will arise out of this exercise,” the power distributor added.
The areas to be affected include Katamanso Police land, ECG quarters, Paradise Estate, Sweden Medical Centre, Amanfrom, Ashieyie Reservoir, Adom Gate, Ashieyie Fulani, Tetegu, White Cross, Sampa Valley and surrounding areas.
Managing Director (MD) of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has disclosed that power bills of former presidents are supposed to be paid by government.
He adds that the company only reads the meters of the former presidents and submits the bills periodically to the office of the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, for payment.
According to him, of the two former presidents in Ghana today, the bills of former president John Agyekum Kufuor is being fully catered for by the state unlike that of John Dramani Mahama.
“We collate all former presidents’ bills and we send them to the Chief of Staff for payment. Let me break it down, former President Kufour’s bills are with us, we gave them to the Chief of Staff and she has worked on them,” he disclosed in an interview with Accra-based Peace FM on April 18, 2023.
He explained how come the bills of Mahama were not at the moment being absorbed by the state.
“We also had former President John Mahama’s own…we tried to get in touch with him, and when we got the bills, for him, he has already been paying his own bills…Yes, he pays his own bills,” he added.
Dubik Mahama revealed that during a meeting with the Chief of Staff, she expressed her disappointment with the ECG’s failure to properly carry out its responsibilities with respect to Mahama’s bills.
“…so, we had a meeting with the Chief of Staff and she told us her piece of mind and she told us exactly what we have to do because a lot of people would like to drop the problem at the political doorstep which is wrong,” he said.
He maintained that ECG will open discussions with the former President to ensure that his bills are settled by the state, in accordance with the country’s constitution.
“So, from now onwards we are going to have discussions with him (John Mahama) so that moving forward it would be absorbed.
“I won’t put the blame at his doorsteps or make it political, it is my office, we were supposed to read his meter and take action by informing him that we will handle it, so, we now have put those structures in place after a very comprehensive conversation with the Chief of Staff.
Mahama in an interview with TV3 in 2022 said that all he receives from the government is his monthly pension and that all other bills the state must cater for have not been attended to since he left office in 2017.
Mahama said he is footing a myriad of bills, including light, fuel, office rent, and travel expenses.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is negotiating with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to offset about GHS 600 million of its tax obligations to the state.
The GRA intends to write off the debt of some “sensitive” public sector institutions that have accumulated over the years
Mr Samuel Dubik Mahama, the Managing Director, ECG, who disclosed this in an interview, said the amount would still not be enough “as we owe GRA over a billion Ghana cedis in taxes.”
ECG has so far retrieved about GhS 2.5 billion out of GHS 5.7 billion debt it intends to recover from a month-long revenue mobilisation exercise.
The exercise which started on March 20, 2023, and ends on April 20, 2023, targets domestic users, businesses, organisations, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDA).
Mr Mahama urged customers to take the proactive steps of paying deposits in anticipation of bills that may be delayed due to technical reasons.
He said the differences would be reconciled when the next bill for the customer was prepared.
He bemoaned the use of fake meters leading to a high loss of revenue due to the inability of the service provider to capture and bill power consumed.
“ECG is the only company that is supposed to provide these meters, but some people have found a way of bringing these meters into the market. By the continuous use of these meters by people not on the ECG network, that means our customer numbers are wrong” he said.
Mr Mahama warned customers against illegal connections and indicated that the company would begin another exercise after the revenue mobilisation exercise to fish out culprits.
“And our intention with that is to punish them by charging them with stealing,” he said.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Volta Region has taken steps to settle its electricity debt.
So far the company has paid GHS 2 million out of its GHS 17.5 million debt.
The debt was accumulated between 2021 and 2023 making the water company the highest debtor of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Volta Region.
GWCL was compelled to pay after it was served a disconnection notice to clear its debt or be disconnected on Tuesday, 4th April 2023.
Both companies later had a series of engagements and agreed on a payment plan, hence, ECG rescinded its decision to cut power supply to GWCL facilities in the region.
Addressing the media, the Acting Volta Regional General Manager of ECG, Ing. Michael Buabin, explained that his outfit is not embarking on a mass disconnection exercise but a revenue mobilization exercise, therefore, for any debtor that exhibits commitment to pay, “there can be a consensus.”
“We don’t take delight in disconnecting customers but we also want to collect the needed revenue so when we engage you and there’s positive feedback, we don’t take you off the national grid but once you default or fail to present a positive solution, disconnection which is always the last resort will be done.
For example, if we disconnect GWCL, hospitals, schools, and innocent consumers who have paid their water bills will not get water supply, hence the need to engage the GWCL extensively for them to pay their bills to avoid disconnection”, he said.
Ing. Buabin indicated that the GHS 2 million paid by GWCL is just a minute fraction of the GHS 17.5 million debt and urged the company to promptly pay its bills to avoid piling up huge debts.
“The amount paid by GWCL is small compared to their debt profile but we hope they will be making regular payments to enable them to reduce or clear their debt. We will be monitoring the situation to ensure we receive frequent payments from their outfit”, he said.
Other institutions that made payments in the Volta Region include UHAS, Ho Technical University, and Abutia Stone Quarry.
The ECG has also engaged Hospitals that charge utilities as part of service bills to patients especially missionary hospitals, and security services such as the Ghana Police Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and Ghana Prisons Service in the Volta Region to settle their debts or face disconnection.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has disclosed that the Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, lambasted the company for failing to submit a bill for payment on behalf of former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to the Managing Director (MD) of ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama, has disclosed that the Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, criticized the company for not properly carrying out its duties, particularly with regard to the payment of bills by former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to the ECG MD, the company is responsible for reading the former president’s meter and submitting the bills to the Chief of Staff’s office for payment. However, this has not been done, leading to the Chief of Staff’s dissatisfaction.
The MD revealed that during a meeting with the Chief of Staff, she expressed her disappointment with the ECG’s failure to properly carry out its responsibilities. She stressed the need for the company to improve its services.
“We collate all former president’s bills and we send them to the Chief of Staff for payment.
“Let me break it down, former President Kufour’s bills are with us, we gave them to the Chief of Staff and she has worked on them. We also had former President John Mahama’s own…we tried to get in touch with him, and when we got the bills, for him, he has already been paying his own bills…Yes, he pays his own bills.
“…so, we had a meeting with the Chief of Staff and she told us her piece of mind and she told us exactly what we have to do because a lot of people would like to drop the problem at the political doorstep which is wrong,” he said.
Speaking in an interview with Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on April 18, 2023, Samuel Dubik Mahama maintained that there will be discussions with the former President to ensure that his bills are settled by the state, in accordance with the country’s constitution.
“So, from now onwards we are going to have discussions with him (John Mahama) so that moving forward it would be absorbed.
“I won’t put the blame at his doorsteps or make it political, it is my office, we were supposed to read his meter and take action by informing him that we will handle it, so, we now have put those structures in place after a very comprehensive conversation with the Chief of Staff.
He further assured Ghanaians that ECG is committed to providing reliable and uninterrupted power supply to its customers and that it will continue to work towards improving its services and addressing any challenges that arise. He urged all customers to ensure that they settle their bills promptly, to avoid disconnection and any inconvenience that may arise as a result.
It may be recalled that John Dramani Mahama in an exclusive interview with TV3 in 2022 said that all he receives from the government is his monthly pension and that all other bills the state must cater for have not been attended to since he left office in 2017.
Mahama said he is footing a myriad of bills, including light, fuel, office rent, and travel expenses.
The Accra Digital Centre is the latest to be disconnected from the national grid by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) over failure to pay outstanding debts.
With many big corporate names already being victims of the recent disconnection exercises of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the Accra Digital Center has become its latest culprit.
The exercise, which was undertaken on the morning of Monday, April 17, 2023, was because the Center owed the power company a substantial amount of money for unpaid power use.
According to a myjoyonline.com report, the action was undertaken by the Accra West Region office of the ECG as part of their revenue drive aimed at complementing a national effort at recovering some GHS 5.7 million owed by its customers.
The areas that the ECG targeted for its Monday activity are those around the North Industrial Area in Accra.
It will be recalled that the ECG has stated recently that unless it can pay off an outstanding $1 billion it owes some Independent Power Producers (IPP), it risks a major shutdown.
The revenue mobilisation drive has so far helped the ECG retrieve GH¢2.5 million of unpaid debts across the country, the report added.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has hinted at hikes in electricity tariffs and tax reforms.
These were made known by the Minister as he outlined five key measures necessary for the government to pursue in order to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) support programme.
They are electricity tariff hikes which have brought the cumulative increase to 60% since August 2022 and Comprehensive set of revenue-enhancing measures, including increase in the Value Added Tax rate and the review of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy).
The rest are the enactment of an ambitious 2023 Budget, with a frontloading of the fiscal consolidation programme, continued monetary policy tightening to bring inflation under control and comprehensive set of structural reforms, notably public expenditure review.
These were captured in the Investors Presentation by the Finance Minister and supported by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison.
With regard to fiscal and debt sustainability, the Finance Minister said the government has undertaken fiscal adjustment with revenue and expenditure measures to improve debt sustainability and restore macroeconomic stability.
This is expected to address structural bottlenecks including contingent liabilities of State Owned Enterprises, commitment controls and arrears accumulation as well as domestic revenue mobilization.
On monetary and financial sector reforms, Mr Ofori-Atta said government is committed to rebuilding reserve buffers, mobilize external concessional financing from multilateral and bilateral partners, and suspend external debt service payments.
With regard to social protection and structural reforms, the Finance Minister said government will safeguard social protection programmes and ensure the burden of adjustment is fairly distributed.
Again, it will reinforce and improve the targeting of social spending to protect the most vulnerable from the impact of the economic crisis as well as fast-track the implementation of growth-oriented socio-economic policies, such as Ghana CARES to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and support economic recovery.
Government outlines 5 ambitious macroeconomic targets
Meanwhile, the government has outlined five ambitious macroeconomic objectives in the medium term as part of securing a programme from the International Monetary Fund.
They are reaching a 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product primary surplus in the medium term, bringing inflation below 8% in the medium-term and restoring external buffers with gross international reserves reaching 3 months of import cover by 2026.
The rest are reaching a real Gross Domestic Product growth target of 5% over the medium-term and enhancing competitiveness with exports surpassing 37% of GDP in the medium run.
The GRA said persons who fail to comply with the directive would be prosecuted.
The court may order the sale of the property to defray the debt, the GRA indicated.
In a tweet, the Authority said “All property rate payers are to settle their bills within 42 days of the bill date. Defaulters will be prosecuted in accordance with the Local Governance Act 936, Section 154 1, the court may authorize the sale of your property to recover the outstanding amount owed. Pay promptly to prevent any inconvenience.”
This comes at a time the Executive Member of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Tsonam Akpeloo asked the GRA to follow the example of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) which was going round to collect its debts, to also do the same and collect property tax.
Tsonam Akpeloo indicated that property tax is one of the areas where the government can generate revenue, not only through taxing businesses.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 Wednesday, April 5 in connection with the three revenue bills – Excise Duty, Growth and Sustainability Levy and Income Amendment Bills – that have been approved by Parliament, he said “Our view is that government must look at its own expenditure and reduce its expenditure to reflect the realities of the time.
“Times are hard and you cannot afford to have a bloated expenditure this time. We feel very strongly that government should consider reviewing its own expenditure.”
He added “There are many ways of mobilizing revenue, for example, property tax. We keep talking about the same issue on property tax, I know people who really have to go to the Municipal offices to ask for their property tax because nobody is coming to them.
“ECG has just started calling people to pay for their electricity bills, we propose that GRA should also go round to collect property tax so they can mobilise revenue.”
From March 20, 2023, all Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) offices nationwide will be closed, the company has announced.
The utility provider in a public notice said the temporary closure was aimed at conducting a revenue mobilisation exercise that will span a month and end on Thursday, April 20, 2023.
During this exercise, the ECG will focus on all categories of customers who owe them money, including state-owned enterprises, with special teams monitoring and prosecuting customers who attempt to disrupt the exercise or undertake illegal self-re-connections after disconnection.
The head office, regional and district offices, except for customer service centres, will be affected to ensure the full participation of the management and staff.
The ECG is urging its customers to pay their bills promptly to avoid disconnection and subsequent re-connection fees.
The company warned that customers who refuse to pay their outstanding bills, even after being served with a final demand notice, will face legal action.
The ECG also advised customers to settle their debts to the company promptly, as it will not hesitate to prosecute any customer who fails to comply.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, the Tema North District of the Tema Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana has made a donation to the Remar Ghana Orphanage in Tema
The donation, worth ¢3,000 included rice, oil, gari, beans and water.
Two months’ worth of electricity bills were also paid for as part of the donation. As the donation was made on Ghana’s Chocolate Day, the children received bars of chocolate from the donors.
Leading the Tema North District for the donation, the District Manager, Tamara Asomanin-Wiafe said “the management of the home had made an appeal on Accra based Metro TV, calling for support from benevolent organisations and individuals to come to its aid as the situation was getting critical.
This donation, was therefore in response to the appeal made.
She also added, that “we work within a jurisdiction. Rhema Home operates within the same jurisdiction. We therefore thought it prudent to provide this support as part of our social responsibility in the interest of the public.”
To the children, she told them that they have a bright future ahead of them regardless of their current situation and that they should always remember to be thankful to The Lord.
She also made a promise of continued assistance to the Orphanage.
On receiving the items, the Director of the Home, Edward Gasper thanked the team for the donation, saying that “on behalf of the Home, I, the Director want to use this opportunity to let you know that you and your team have solved some months’ worth of expenses and we are truly grateful”.
The management of the Tema North District was supported by the District’s representatives of the junior and senior staff unions and the Power Queens Club. These are identifiable groups in the organisation.
The Electricity Company of Ghana has a policy on corporate social responsibility which outlines the various areas where such must be focused on. The areas include health, education, social welfare and community and national development.
PURC increased the price of electricity by 30% on January 16 and water by 8.3% starting on February 1, 2023.
The PURC justified its decision to approve the increase by pointing to the depreciation of the cedi, skyrocketing inflation, and problems with power generation.
In a release issued by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the power distributor said it has cataloged all unit consumption and the expected cost in a “Reckoner,” which clearly explains how the tariff is applied and billed.
“Please note that individual customers’ tariff percentage increase will depend on customer classification and consumption category. The Reckoner will be displayed at all our districts and customer service centres nationwide to guide customers on their electricity purchases.”
“ECG, by this announcement, assures our customers and stakeholders of our commitment to ensuring a smooth implementation of the new tariff.”
Meanwhile, the ECG said it has established customer help desks in all districts and customer service centres to assist, explain and reconcile any challenge.
Police in Krobo have arrested a woman on a residential property for illegally replacing her meter.
According to sources at angelonline.com.gh, officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) had installed a new prepaid meter in the home of the woman, but routine checks by officers uncovered that the culprit had replaced the metre with a postpaid one.
She was thus arrested for the offense when officials undertook routine monitoring exercise in the area, specifically in Sawer, Atua, Koletsum and Ablotsi.
The exercise, which started at about 8 a.m. and lasted through 2:30 p.m., also uncovered other illegalities, according to officials of the power distribution company.
“20 fake metres were discovered. They have all been confiscated by ECG,” an officer (name withheld) of the company told angelonline.com.gh.
According to the officer, two illegally transferred metres were also discovered and seized.
“Three metre bypasses were discovered. The culprits weren’t available. The police have asked them to report themselves to the police station.
In all, however, 24 customers of the service provider have had their power disconnected and the service cables removed.
The monitoring is one of many exercises the ECG is conducting in the region following the growing cases of illegal power use in the Krobo enclave.
The management warns that those who are found culpable will face the full rigors of the law.
The Ghana Grid Company, (GRIDCo) says it has resolved the power outage that occurred earlier on Saturday.
GRIDCo in a statement in the evening of Saturday noted that it’s National Interconnected Transmission System has also been fully restored and is stable.
“The Ghana Grid Company, (GRIDCo) wishes to inform the Ghanaian public that as of 17:57GMT power has been restored to all areas earlier affected by the outage to its Transmission Lines,” it said.
The power transmission company early on announced that the power outage which occurred on Saturday, January 14 around 11:57 am was due to a systems disturbance.
According to them, the power outage occurred as a result of a trip in its 330kv Aboadze-Anwomaso line.
The statement added that this resulted in a system disturbance causing all thermal plants, Bui generators and customer loads to trip.
GRIDCo said the cause of the trip in the power lines was as a result of a raging bush fire under its high-voltage lines near Tarkwa.
GRIDCo extended “its appreciation to the Ghanaian public for its patience as efforts were made to restore the NITS and power to Ghanaians.”
“Once again GRIDCo apologises for the inconvenience caused by this incident,” the statement concluded.
The Electricity Company of Ghana has begun the installation of smart prepaid meters for clients within its prepaid metering areas in the Volta Region.
About 5,000 units of smart meters have already been installed in the Ho and Hohoe Municipalities.
The smart prepaid meters are compliant with the new Meter Management System (MMS) which allows customers to purchase prepaid credit online, without visiting vending points.
The system also allows the company to monitor the meters remotely, and identify any interference or illegality when the meters are tampered with.
The Volta Regional Communications Officer of ECG, Benjamin Antwi, explained that the initiative is in line with the power distribution company’s objective of providing quality services to its customers.
“As a company, we want to make Volta Region, a hub of excellent customer service and we believe providing convenience for our customers will help us achieve this vision.
Power supply in the Volta Region has improved significantly and introducing these smart meters in the Region will further ensure that our customers are satisfied with our services”, he said.
He added that a Customer Interface Unit has been attached to the meter to allow customers to access information on energy purchased and consumed from the comfort of their homes.
Other devices added to the meter include; a user manual, a USB cord to charge the Customer Interface Unit and a battery to power the Interface Unit.
“After the meter is installed for the customer, the customer can decide to purchase prepaid credit from the comfort of his or her premises or visit the ECG Office. When going to the ECG Office to purchase credit, the customer can decide to go with the Customer Interface Unit or without it since the important information needed to purchase credit is the meter number.
After purchasing the credit, the smart meter is remotely recharged before the customer leaves the premises. In the event that the meter fails to recharge remotely due to network error, a token is generated for the customer. The customer will key in the 20-digit token number on the Customer Interface Unit and the smart meter will be recharged”, he explained.
Mr. Antwi bemoaned how illegal connections by some customers affect the revenue generated by the company, and prevents it from undertaking projects that will inure to the benefit of customers.
He warned customers against perpetuating any illegality by tampering with the smart meter, adding that the metering device has a feature to detect any illegal connection.
“The meter records every activity and we can see it from our office, including tampering with the meter. When you try tampering with the meter, the meter will go off and you cannot buy credit to recharge your meter until you come to our office. When apprehended, you will be surcharged”, he warned.
Mr. Antwi concluded by calling on the public to act as whistleblowers – to help ECG curb illegal connections – by reporting people who would engage in any illegality at any ECG office or call the national task force via 0551444011.
“There is a 6% commission of any amount we recoup as an incentive for anyone who gives us reliable information to unearth any illegality”, he added.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has reacted to speculation that there was an attempt to hand over the ECG App to Hubtel Company Limited at a service fee of four percent.
The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, John Jinapor had alleged that there were plans to hand over the management of the ECG App to Hubtel Company Limited and that the Minority in Parliament was willing to pursue the allegation.
Mr Jinapor had said the Minority has received reports that Hubtel Company Limitedwould be charging a service fee of four per cent when the ECG App is handed over to the company.
“Handing over the App that was developed by the ECG IT team itself that sells power at no cost, is it true they are handing over that App to a company called Hubtel to charge a service fee of four per cent or not? That is what we are picking up,” Mr Jinapor said.
ECG MD reaction
But reacting to it at a press conference in Accra on Thursday (October 6, 2022), the Managing Director of ECG, Samuel Dubik Mahama denied agreeing on any percentages with Hubtel.
“ECG hasn’t agreed to any percentages with Hubtel.”
“ECG said, you [Hubtel] say you can do something, proof your concept, if your concept works, what do we do, we agree to it then we see that we talk about it, if your concept doesn’t work, you step aside, then we move away.”
“So ECG has a proof of concept understanding with Hubtel,” the MD explained.
He added: “It is quite sad that in this day when we have the Right to Information Bill [Law], where you can get access to information when you hear gossip, you choose to run with gossip. It is not fair to some of us, it is actually very painful because you end up allowing and drawing attacks unto us, especially me [MD].”
Mr Mahama said some of the things that have been coming his way are “very scary, I’m just a human being too. I’m just here to conduct a service for mother Ghana. I am helping ECG to fix its loopholes. No need for us to start conjecture or start a gossip rumour that will lead to people personally attacking me.”
“I am not here to ransack the company, so please, my doors are always opened, ECG hasn’t attempted, will not attempt, until the proof has been, there must be proof of that said concept, what I will do for myself privately, I should be able to do for ECG.”
The ECG MD said he will not take a whole national security asset and “dump it like that”.
“Again, I must repeat, there is no contract with Hubtel. It is at a proof of concept stage, they are attempting to prove their concept, if they are successful fine, if they are not, we will look for other solutions,” he added.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) claims to have resolved the vending issues that customers were experiencing with the country’s prepaid metering system.
The power distribution company stated in a press statement on October 1 that clients who were having difficulty purchasing credits can now do so at the various vending points across the country.
“The Electricity Company of Ghana wishes to inform all stakeholders, especially our cherished customers on our prepayment metering system that the issue with the 3rd Party Vending Points has been resolved,” part of the statement read.
“Customers can now purchase electricity credits from their nearest vending points, and all ECG District offices, including tomorrow Sunday, 2nd October 2022, from 9.00 am – 4.00 pm,” they added.
Prior to this, customers had experienced disruptions in the purchase of electricity credits in some parts of the country.
The ECG stated on Wednesday 28th September 2022, that the anomaly was a consequence of some technical issues. These technical challenges according to the ECG has since been remedied.
Volta, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo customers were been affected.
“Affected customers should please note that our engineers are working assiduously to correct the anomaly and restore the system to normalcy.”
However, as of Saturday morning, some customers were complaining on social media noting that they were still having challenges purchasing electricity credits.
Meanwhile, ECG promised later in the day that the issue had not only been fixed but they are working to also resolve the challenges with the ECG app.
“ECG once again assures our cherished customers that we are working assiduously to restore the Power App for an improved and seamless service provision,” they added.
The Public Utility Regulatory Commission(PURC) has assured customers that the commission is working closely with the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG) to tackle utility service issues.
On September 29, 2022, the ECG made a technical challenge that has been affecting its prepaid metering systems public knowledge.
According to the electricity company, the difficulty has prevented customers from purchasing electricity credits.
The PURC, in a statement also issued on Thursday, said that the commission has noticed the concerns voiced regarding vending problems and offered to work with the ECG to find a swift resolution to the subject.
“The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission(PURC) has noticed with concern, challenges experienced in vending, by consumers on ECash and PNS Metering Systems of the Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG). The Commission is closely monitoring the situation and in full discussions with the service provider to address the issues,” the statement read.
“The Commission wishes to assure all affected customers of its commitment to ensuring the delivery of a safe and reliable utility service provision and to have the issue resolved quickly.”
The statement from the ECG indicated that customers in the Volta, Kumasi, Accra, Takoradi, Tema, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Swedru, Koforidua, Nkawkaw, and Tafo have been affected.
It further apologised and assured that the technical team are working on the issues.
“Affected customers should please note that our ICT team is working assiduously to correct the anomaly and restore the system to normalcy.”
“We apologise for the inconvenience caused by this technical challenge,” it added.
According to them, the decision is “unacceptable” due to the current economic hardships facing the country.
In an interview with the media, the Deputy Secretary General of the Congress, Mr Joshua Ansah, disclosed that leadership of his outfit had objected to the decision. However, it appears their plight fell on deaf ears.
“We told PURC and the utility service providers that in this day and time that inflation is on the high side, where the economic situation is unbearable for workers in this country, we think that any decision of any increment in utilities should have been suspended.
“We told them our piece of mind, but I think that they did not bother and have gone ahead to increase utilities,†Mr Joshua Ansah, the Deputy Secretary General of the TUC, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Bolgatanga.
He said the increment would put pressure on members of the TUC, noting that, “this is the time we are also negotiating the minimum wage and the base pay, so you can imagine what is going to happen. At the moment, workers cannot bear the economic hardship in this country.
“As a union, we think that is unacceptable. We will also do our best to get a salary increase that does not fall below any of the increases announced by the government. We are ready to do that.â€
“If Government has gone ahead to increase utilities, fuel prices and anything that it wants when we also get to the negotiation table, that is where we will also base all our might on,†the Deputy Secretary General said.
He said once the announcement for increment was made, there was nothing TUC could do, but emphasized that “We will also marshal all forces and ensure that we get salary increases that will march increases announced by the utility service providers.â€
He said the increment was not business friendly as indicated by the PURC and described it as “killer increases†announced to workers of the country and reiterated that workers would not accept salary increments below those increases.
Mr Ansah said the TUC earlier announced that it would not accept anything below the inflation figure even before the Cost-of-Living Allowance (CoLA) became an issue, and further emphasised that the TUC would not accept anything below the inflation rate.
He explained that “We accepted the 15 per cent because there is a hurdle ahead of us, that is the base pay, and the minimum wage for 2023, but they have worsened the situation. Even currently, workers are suffering. We have sacrificed for far too long.â€
The Deputy Secretary General called on workers to be patient and have trust in the leadership of the TUC, and rally behind them to fight a good course for the ordinary Ghanaian worker.
Residents of the Yilo and Manya Krobomunicipalities of the Eastern region may soon heave a sigh of relief, as the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has begun maintenance works on its substation in the area.
Hundreds of residents have been in the dark for almost 3 weeks due to a stand-off between some youth groups and the ECG.
The latest decision comes after series of meetings with all stakeholders including the ECG on ways to find an amicable solution to the current impasse.
Municipal Chief Executive for Lower Manya Krobo, Simon Tetteh said he is hopeful power will be restored in the shortest possible time.
“Now that the transformers are being repaired, we are highly expectant that power will be restored. We hope no other development forestalls this. It has not been easy these past weeks.â€
“We are just urging our people to remain calm because the matter is being resolved and very soon we will see an end to the blackouts we are experiencing.â€
There have been tensions between the resident and the ECG in recent times over the installation of prepaid metres.
There were reports suggesting that there were gunshots targeted at workers of ECG who were in the community to disconnect power from the main transformer which was serving a number of illegally connected homes in the area.
The development, which is fast becoming a matter of safety and security, has attracted the attention of all stakeholders who have since sought a speedy resolution to the issue.
Should information from Daily Graphic be anything to go by, this will be the first review of utility tariffs since 2017.
Daily Graphic reported that the new tariffs will not be across the board, which means the rates will depend on the reasons and proofs adduced by the utilities and the verification the commission has done.
This comes after the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) had carried out nationwide consultations on proposals it received from the utility companies.
It is said that the tariffs to be announced would exclude taxes and levies already imposed by the state.
The report also revealed that micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), such as food joints and salons, would be protected from paying “punitive†tariffs.
The proposal from the power distributor, submitted to the PURC, wanted the adjustment to cover the period 2019 and 2022.
The company also proposed an average increase of 7.6% in tariff over the next four years to cover Distribution Service Charges (DSC).
On its part, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) also demanded a 334% increase in tariff. The GWCL in its proposal said over the years, the approved tariffs have not been fully cost-reflective.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has also proposed 37%, with the Ghana Grid Company Ltd (GRIDCo) proposing 48%
Other proposals were 38% from the only private power distributor, Enclave Power, and 113% increase over the existing tariffs of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo).
Meanwhile, after receiving the proposals from the utility companies, the PURC conducted a survey in which 851 respondents across all 16 regions completed the questionnaire.
The survey indicated that 44% of respondents thought the current electricity tariffs were not proportionate with quality of service received from the electricity utilities.
They based their reason on the frequent voltage fluctuation and poor customer service delivery among other reasons.
On electricity tariffs, 42% of the respondents rated prevailing tariffs as fair, while 55% rated them as high.
Again, half of the respondents indicated that current water tariffs were not justified, given the poor service delivery in the form of frequent water supply interruptions.
Consequently, 41% of respondents rated prevailing water tariffs as fair, while 57% rated them as high.
The police in Mamprobi have arrested Henry Teye Adjirackor, a technician, for illegally possessing, selling and installing meters, and passing them off as meters from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The suspect was arrested after field-monitoring officers of the ECG from the Korle Bu District Office disconnected power to some users of the illegal meters. The customers upon interrogation named the suspect as the source of the meters. They claimed that the self-styled meter contractor sold the illegal meters to unsuspecting members of the public.
Syndicate
Speaking to the media, the Korle Bu District Manager of the ECG, Solomon Tsawe, described the suspect as part of a syndicate whose modus operandi included duplicating existing meter details already installed for customers, printing a sheet and super imposing the information on the face of the illegal meters.
“These criminal acts do not only deny the ECG of the needed revenue from the service we provide but they also pose a safety risk to customers, since the quality and safety of these illegal meters have not been audited,†he said.
The Accra West General Manager of the ECG. Ebenezer Ghunney, admonished customers to deal directly with officers of the ECG in all meter-related service requests. “Anytime you make any official payment and an official ECG receipt is not issued to you, that should be your first sign that you are probably being defrauded or engaging in an illegality,†he added.
Mr Ghunney advised customers to contact any of the ECG offices to clear any doubts and seek clarity on issues.
The ECG has embarked on a nationwide campaign to reduce losses through a moratorium for customers who have engaged in illegal connections, or have faulty meters. Customers who do not receive bills and those who do not buy prepaid are also advised to report to the nearest ECG office for prompt action.
Police investigations are continuing to arrest other named members of this criminal syndicate.
The Nsawam Circuit Court has sentenced a 32-year-old plumber to three years in prison for stealing parts of a transformer belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The convict, Kwaku Ampomah was charged with strings of charges including intention to steal and causing damage to the ECG transformer.
He was convicted on his own plea by the court, presided over by Ellen Vivian Amoah.
Brief facts
Per the facts of the case, the suspect, who is a plumber based in Tema, went with one Tupak, an electrician now at large to work for a client in Tema.
After the work, the two, according to prosecutors, agreed to go and steal the ECG property.
Consequently, the two decided to go to Nsawam to carry out the operation.
Upon arrival, the prosecution said they sat somewhere and took some drinks after which they decided to go to Yawkro to commit the crime.
50 military personnel have been deployed to beef up security at Krobo as staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) replace all postpaid meters with prepaid meters.
The installation of prepaid meters comes after years of an impasse between Krobo residents and ECG which escalated into devastating attacks.
The said violent clash ensued when residents allegedly blocked the town road to prevent ECG officers from switching off the main transformer that supplied power to the town.
The disconnection exercise had been occasioned by unpaid electricity bills that had accrued from 2014.
The incident claimed the life of one of the protesters, while several others sustained various degrees of injuries.
Five police officers also sustained injuries.
After the clash, the ECG office has since been shut down.
But to reduce commercial losses through power theft in the area, ECG has sought the assistance of the security service in its exercise.
Director of Customer Service, Anokye Abebreseh is optimistic that the installation of prepaid meters will ensure the effective collection of revenue.
He therefore urged all residents to cooperate with the ECG staff.
“Just last week we met, a tripartite kind of a committee comprising of Electricity company, National Security and United Krobo Foundation. We met and the agreement is that ECG going to install prepaid meters starting from tomorrow for which all of us have agreed. So, come tomorrow (Tuesday) we are going to deploy our men to the field to start the installation of prepayment meters. We have done a lot of stakeholder engagements so at least for now calm is prevailing so come tomorrow 14th of June we are going to start deployment of prepayment meters,†he saud.
Mr Anokye Abebreseh also mentioned that debts owed by customers in Krobo land from 2018 to 2021 will not be put on the prepaid but a suitable approach will be used to determine how payment will be done.
“Normally the practice is that when you put prepayment meter there you put the debt on the post-paid meter on the prepaid meter so that we will recover whatever debt but in this case we said from 2018 to date we are not going to put it there, and that we will meet customers individually and determine how they should pay the debt.â€
