The Central Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Monday commenced a mass disconnection exercise of some state and private institutions in the region, in a bid to retrieve huge debts owed them.
The Ayensu Starch Factory at Bawjiase inaugurated last Friday, the newly constructed Cape Coast Sports Stadium and the Cape Coast Polytechnic together owe the company more than GHȻ2.3 million.
Mr. Enoch Paul Heyes, the Central Regional Chairman of the Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU), said about 30 institutions had been disconnected in nine districts in the region as at Tuesday afternoon.
[contextly_sidebar id=”P8D9MXiLdnkpcxqQyR9LsIAWEIof0z97″]Other institutions indebted are the Komenda, Fosu and Our Ladies of Apostle (OLA) Colleges of Education, the Cape Coast Nurses and Midwifery Nursing Training College, Biriwa, Assin Fosu and Praso Vocational Training institutes, and Assin Fosu and Apam District Education offices.
The organisations to be disconnected included the Mfantsiman Girls Senior High which owes 67,401.54, Jukwa Senior High School, GH¢78,789.82, Denkyira Senior High School, GH¢84,539.03, Bisease Senior High, GH¢64,932.00 and Mando Senior High,GH¢60,534.00.
He said the exercise would continue unabated until monies owed the company by the various private and government institutions, described as “high debtors” were dully retrieved.
He said ECG would not restore power until payments or arrangements are made, but could not readily give the exact amount of money owed them.
Mr. Heyes said several institutions, especially government institutions, had failed on several promises to pay, adding that the company had no choice than to disconnect them since they were also indebted to the GRIDCO and other institutions.
He said the company was seen as inefficient because of interference by politicians and governments, and that if debts owed the company were paid, it could enhance its services.
Mr. Heyes said the ECG was being offered on concession for private sector participation in the management and operations because many of such institutions had failed to pay their bills.
He said the ECG, led by its union, would work on retrieving all monies owed the company because it believed it could function effectively with the necessary resources.
However, as at Tuesday morning, some defaulting institutions such as the Cape Coast Nursing and Midwifery College, after the exercise on Monday, had initiated efforts to make arrangements to settle their debts.
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Source: GNA