The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) on Friday, May 24, 2019 successfully mediated and settled the impasse between the Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana Limited and some Residents of the Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo Krobo traditional areas.
The Commission upon receipt of a formal complaint from the Member of Parliament for the Lower Manya Krobo, Hon. Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, quickly called for a settlement meeting between the two parties as part of the steps in its complaints resolution process.
The meeting was attended by the complainants (the MP and some Assembly Members of Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly), the PDS represented by the Regional General Manager and Selected staff o PDS should ease their stand and suspend the disconnection exercise for now.
The Tema Region and the PURC represented by the Greater Accra Regional Office.
The Commission played a mediation role between the two parties and finally resolved the complaint with the following roadmap towards amicable settlement.PDS should ease their stand and suspend the disconnection exercise for now.
Prior to the settlement meeting, PDS had already rescinded the 70% upfront payment before reconnection for customers whose debts are overdue and would therefore reschedule the debts for a minimum of six months based on individual cases and merit.
Also, PDS has cleansed the customer data using the CMS software to arrive at the outstanding debt of about GHs 84 million instead of GHs 195 million within the affected communities. This reduction was not a waiver but a correction of the bulk and estimated bills.
The Commission will therefore monitor closely the implementation of this roadmap and will facilitate further meetings if the need be to ensure that these issues are fully resolved.
The PURC is committed in resolving issues between the regulated utilities and customers. The general public is therefore encouraged to promptly report all misunderstandings with electricity and water service provision in their areas to PURC for an amicable resolution.
Meanwhile the Public Affairs Manager for Public utility and Regulatory Commission Mr. Bawa Mukaila has stated that, the PURC is doing sensitization exercise for the people of krobo to know their right, trying to let the customers know what they are in terms of utility service provision .
He said they have also intended to set up a complain clinic which will take account of all individual cases and the commission will go into it and investigate the issue to come out with amicable solution that is the aim of the commission is on kroboland .
Speaking to Austin Ofori Addo on Rite Morning Ride, he stated that the commission is here because of issues between the residents of kroboland and the Power Distribution Services.
He added that, Public Utility and Regulatory Commission is the Regulator of Utility providers of Water and Electricity and if there is any problem between the customer and Power Distribution Service that is where the Commission comes in to help solve the problem.
