The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as part of a nationwide revenue collection and protection exercise, has disconnected power to over 900 households in Tarkwa in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Western Region.
The move according to the company is to ensure that ECG becomes an efficient distributor of power that Ghanaians have yearned for years.
Speaking to Citi News the Western Regional Public Relations Officer of ECG Philip Osei Bonsu, indicated that “the 900 households disconnected are Non-Special Load Tariff [SLT] customers; individual customers, persons with residential meters and commercial meters etc., owing a total of some GH 150,000.”
University of Mines given one month ultimatum
[contextly_sidebar id=”inzBL0m7Y4z3WKAEaf8NP8n7boEAW43K”]Mr. Bonsu also disclosed that the University of Mines and Technology UMAT has been given a one month ultimatum to pay the GH1.8 million it owes the company or be disconnected.
According to him, “we went to their campus to disconnect their power but for an agreement we reached with the Pro Vice Chancellor we gave them a one month ultimatum to pay their debt.”
He said the university has failed to pay the ECG since January 2014, accumulating a GH1.8 million debt.
Other Institutions
“The Takoradi Polytechnic, the GBC headquarters in Sekondi and the Effia Nkwanta Regional hospital which also owe the ECG some millions of cedis have all reached a payment plan with us and the good news is that they are all following the plan”. Mr. Bonsu added.
Meanwhile other 17 customers who have proven difficult to settle their debts have been processed for court.
In the mean time, the ECG has been installing prepaid meters for some other institutions in the region.
They include the Takoradi Polytechnic Business School, the Holy Child Teacher Training School.
“This is something we will continue doing going forward for all institutions and agencies but that will be done for them after they have paid all their debts”. Mr Bonsu explained.
ECG’s debt situation in Western Region
According to the Public Relations Officer, “a lot of our customers owe especially with the ministries, departments and agencies. A lot of the MMDAs also owe us”.
Mr. Bonsu finally threw a word of caution to ECG’s customers in default that the company will continue embarking on mass disconnection exercises on every last Wednesday in every month and customers who are in default will not be spared.
By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana