The Ministry of Power has hinted to Citi Business News of an ongoing auditing of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG’s) system over the increasing complaints of over-billing.
[contextly_sidebar id=”V6ojmfWD0hXmou8iPriG8EzNZY1jEu9C”]According to the Ministry, the auditing will ensure that consumers, especially businesses, are not short-changed.
There has been growing concerns from the business community over the current cost of electricity in Ghana.
The situation has led to some businesses threatening to relocate from.
Accra-based Italian Restaurant, Bread & Wine recently threatened to close down because they claimed they had been over-billed to the tune of about 60,000 cedis.
Speaking to Citi Business News,the Deputy Minister of Power, John Abdulai Jinapor assured that government was committed to addressing the issue of over-billing,
“We have had discussions with ECG and we are doing a full audit of the ECG system and I want to assure everybody that we shall address that challenge. We want to ensure that people are billed according to what the PURC has gazetted and if you are over-billed, there shall be a refund.”
Mr. Jinapor further implored on businesses for their co-operation in the work of the task force mandated to track organizations who by-pass the system and refuse to pay for electricity.
He revealed that the operation has so far recovered about 30 million cedis from defaulting companies within the Tema metropolis.
“All those who are bypassing, stealing and using electricity without paying; we will ensure that we bring them into the net. This is because you cannot have a system that you increase tariff and one part of the society will pay while the other will not pay, that is not right- resulting in imbalance.”John Jinapor stressed.
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By: Norvan Acquah – Hayford/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana