The Eastern Regional Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) this year resolved 96.4 per cent of the 1,253 complaints lodged between January and November.
The majority of the complaints were against the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which accounted for 83.6 per cent, followed by the Ghana Water Limited (GWL) with 15.2 per cent, while consumer-related issues constituted 0.2 per cent.
At a media engagement in Koforidua on Tuesday, December 17, the Regional Manager of the PURC, Mrs Kesewaa Apenteng-Addo, said the dominant complaint was related to quality of service, representing 84.6 per cent of all reported cases. She explained that these included power outages, phase-offs, water flow interruptions, voltage fluctuations, burst pipes and leakages.
She said most consumers lodged their complaints through electronic media, particularly WhatsApp, which accounted for 74 per cent of all cases received by the office.
Mrs Apenteng-Addo told journalists that during the period under review, the office addressed overbilling complaints, leading to refunds amounting to GH¢29,171.46 credited to 14 consumers. She added that damaged infrastructure, including 13 electricity poles, two transformers and 11 meters, were replaced at a total cost of GH¢139,167.97.
She further disclosed that the office facilitated the restoration of water supply to residents of Odumase-Krobo following a six-month disruption caused by road construction works.
According to her, a total of 1,086 consumers in 44 communities, along with 11 small and medium-sized enterprises, were interviewed during the period to assess the quality of service delivery.
Mrs Apenteng-Addo said the monitoring exercise uncovered instances of poor service delivery, which were promptly reported to the respective service providers for redress.
On the commission’s legal mandate, she explained that the Eastern Regional Office oversees two Consumer Service Committees in the remote communities of Donkorkrom and Maame Krobo in the Afram Plains North and South districts respectively.
She said the committees, located about 322 kilometres from the regional office, serve as a link between consumers and utility service providers. During the period, the committees carried out public education and complaint clinics in 15 communities, resulting in the recording of 31 complaints for resolution.
Mrs Apenteng-Addo also said the commission had handed over four mechanised pro-poor water projects to communities at Takorase, Nyanoa, Kumikrom, Amanfrom and Essaso in the Upper West Akim District.
She explained that the boreholes, fitted with storage tanks and pumps, were intended to provide safe and potable water to beneficiary communities as part of the commission’s efforts to improve access to clean drinking water in underserved areas.
She therefore urged residents in the region to channel all complaints regarding ECG and GWL to the PURC for prompt redress.
