The Eastern Regional Manager for the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), Mr Jude Aduamoah-Addo, has urged all utility consumers to channel their grievances to the Commission for redress.
He said most customers did not know the work of the commission neither do they know its existence so sometimes they vent their anger on the government, and especially the service providers which they do not get answers to their satisfaction.
Mr Aduamoah-Addo made the pronouncement when he had a dialogue with the members of the Full Gospel Church International on Sunday, to explain matters concerning the work of the Commission and how his outfit could be of a great help to the challenges of utility consumers in Koforidua.
He said the dialogue was part of his tour to the churches in the two New Juaben Municipalities to interact with the members, and to strengthen a good working relationship between the PURC and the church.
Taking the members through the history of PURC, he said it was established in October 1997 under the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act 538 and Section 4 of the Act.
It functions as an independent body and it is not subject to the control of any authority in the performance of its task.
He outlined the work of the PURC to the church members and said it is a multi-sector regulator, to regulate the provision of electricity and water utility services which is part of the government’s utility sector reform process.
Mr Aduamoah-Addo mentioned some of the functions as providing guidelines for rates to be charged for the provision of utility services, and examine and approve utility rates and protect the interest of both consumers and providers of utility services.
The Regional Manager also said the PURC monitored and enforced standards of performance for provision of utility services, and above all receives, investigates and settles complaints relating to utility services in the country.
He advised the public to be cautious of fake people in the system who collected huge sums of money from customers to provide them with services, adding that the cost of one separate electricity metre did not cost more than Gh82.25.
“There are other charges which are not part of the charges of the metre such as purchase of forms, Energy Commission charges, purchasing of electricity poles if the facility is outside town or not nearer to existing pole and etc,” he added.
Mr Aduamoah-Addo said a customer was entitled to 60 per cent capital contribution refund if he/she had already spent about GH¢4200.00 and above.
He stressed that all grievances in respect of any public utility should be channeled through the PURC for solution.
From Samuel Opare Lartey, Koforidua.
