ECG must pay fine or face lawsuit – PURC

The Public Utility Regulatory Commission(PURC) has expressed its resolve to ensure that embattled state-power distributor – Electricity Company of Ghana(ECG) will pay the over 200,000 fine imposed on them as penalty for breaching the pre-payment metering vending laws.

Reports gathered by this website suggest ECG may not pay up the fine imposed on them describing it as unfair and capricious.

But the Director of Public and External Affairs of the PURC, Nana Yaa Jantuah said the Public Utilities regulator will be forced to go to court if ECG fails to comply with the order.

“We’re dealing with laws and we are not talking in vacuum. They should come and tell us it is not in the law, if they do that fine; we’ll test the law.

We have systems that we run with and regulations…How do they feel that people slept in darkness-whatever agitations that they do, they expected some public sympathy but at the end of the day, the public that you need their sympathy, you hurt them. The public didn’t even know what was going on and even understand why the vendors were closed,” she said in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM Friday.

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has slapped the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) with a fine of Gh¢ 202,640 for breaching its obligations to power consumers.

ECG Staff vacated their post for nearly three days over government’s decision to privatise a section of their operations, a move that left thousands of its customers across the country stranded at their vending points.

A statement released by Public Affairs Director of PURC, Nana Yaa Jantuah said the GH¢202, 640 penalty also covers the ECG’s refusal to provide contingency measures to ensure customers of pre-payment metering could proceed to buy credits the industrial strike which was embarked on by the ECG workers in the first week of September 2016.

According to the PURC ECG breached LI 1861 and LI 1935.

“The PURC as the regulator of water and electricity services wishes to indicate that the commission has the mandate to protect the interest of the consumer and ensure the financial viability of the utility service provider and we will tip this balance carefully and equitably by using all the relevant Laws and Regulations available to assist us fulfill our regulatory mandate,” the statement noted.