Community Water Agency rubbishes threat by private suppliers

Threat by the Association of Small Towns Water Supply System-Ghana (ASTWS-G) to flout President Akufo-Addo's free water directive, has been rubbished with a warning they will lawfully be dealt with, if they carried out because the facilities they are managing, are state-owned.

Indeed, they were described as an indisciplined organization for threatening to disobey the President's recently announced palliative by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, during his mid-year budget review last month.

According to Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), a state agency under the Ministry of Water and Sanitation responsible for water supply to rural communities, including small towns, the Association, has no such power to deny community folks free water announced by government, describing them as nothing, but a group of "troublemakers".

The Agency said, the faceless members of the Association, would be made to face the law, if they dare went ahead with their threat issued and published by The Herald, last week.

"These facilities are state facilities. And so, if a group of private people will form an association and deprive communities, the very facilities that belong to the state, then the law must deal with them. Because, it is not even the private people that are saying that they will not provide, we are validating private service suppliers but this Association, is really meant for facilities that were constructed with state funds", said the CWSA.

It described the association as "an undisciplined kind of organization that we are dealing with".

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Community Water and Sanitation Agency ING. Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabi, while addressing journalists, said contrary to the Association's claim, members are submitting bills for payment as sanctioned by the sector Minister's guideline developed by the Agency, on how the water they supply, can be delivered to homes they serve.

The warning was a response to the Association's statement last week, detailing why they cannot honour President Akufo-Addo's free water supply to Ghanaians as a measure to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement signed by both President and Secretary, cited government's inability to settle three months debt owed them beginning April–June, after they'd supplied free water to Ghanaians. The group said, they can only go back on their words, if government settled the debt.

"The Association, wishes to state categorically that until government pays the bills submitted fully for the first three months ending June 2020. WSMTs (Water and Sanitation Management Teams) will not be able to continue with the free water to consumers".

It indicated that effort to have a meeting with the sector Minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah, was unsuccessful and querried how they were going to supply the free water, when their systems run on prepaid electricity meters?

"Asking the water system to continue the free water for three more months while most of the water systems are on electricity prepaid metering, how can they, produce water without systems pay staff salaries, vendors commissions and maintain the water systems from proceeds of water sales which maybe the government is not aware of, the statement said.

The Association went on "The WSMTs were NOT consulted yet it dieted and instructed all Small Water Systems to comply with the directive by the president. The leadership of the Association sought audience with the sector Minister but was denied without reason".

But Community Water and Sanitation Agency on the sidelines of a top management meeting in Accra last Friday, questioned on whose behalf the Association is working for?

According to the state Agency, as far as it is concerned, there was no iota of truth in the claims by the Association, because even though they claim to exist, they are not recognized.

ING. Siabi, explained that, although government has provided some funds to that effect, they have had to do some work on the data presented to them by the regions, to ensure that moneys paid to suppliers are actually due them.

He said, funds for the first two months have been made available, adding they will disburse them the moment they are done reconciling the paper work to ensure value for money.

According to the CEO, the delays came about as a result of faulty data, delay in submission of data, inadequate claims and so on.

Also, it came to light that some of the information provided by the private water suppliers, had nothing to do with the directive by the government and so they had to take their time to look into them, so that accurate information is gathered and the right moneys paid to deserving suppliers for proper accountability.

He cited an instance where data presented to the Agency contained electricity bills that have not been paid for years, as well as cost of capital expenditure, which had no connection with the free water supply and many others.

He revealed there are some suppliers who went as far as presenting data for payment when it was evidently clear, that they neither sold the water nor the water system there have, had broken down and so there is no supply of water whatsoever.

"Truly, that whole concept that government does not want to pay for free water, is not true. Government has committed funds and we will validate and make sure that all the communities that were provided free water are paid", he assured.

The CWSA Bono Region Director, ING. Ahmed Ewura, said the validation process has been "very smooth" so far, with support from the metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives and water system suppliers.

He described the claim as "neither here nor there" adding"so far no member of the Association has complained".

The Bono Regional Director, who was present, reiterated that CWSA is committed to pay moneys owed by the government, adding the various regional directors are the ones appending their signatures to the data that is being submitted and will do saw with vigilance so no one takes undue advantage.

In all, government has some 1022 of these water facilities dotted around the country, but a good number of them are not functioning, warranting suggestion that government stops wasting moneys to fix them. But this suggestion appears not to have gone down well, with some stakeholders.