Patrick Antwi – Bono Regional manager of PURC on improve service delivery
The Bono Regional branch of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the activities of meter readers from utility companies.
The commission urged the managers of these companies to closely monitor the actions of individuals who are reportedly providing incorrect information to customers regarding their meters.
The Regional Manager of PURC, Patrick Antwi, conveyed this sentiment during an engagement with managers from the Ghana Water Company Limited and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) in Sunyani.
The meeting was aimed at developing effective strategies for improving customer service and service delivery to minimize complaints. Attendees included the Regional Engineer (Manager) of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Theophilus Colins accompanied the Sunyani Area Manager of NEDCo, Eugene Odoi Addo.
During the discussion, Mr. Antwi elaborated on PURC’s national theme for 2025, titled “Strategic Positioning.” He explained that the regional office has broken down this theme into four quarterly thematic areas to facilitate focused efforts throughout the year.
“For the first quarter, we are focusing on regulatory relevance. In the second quarter, we will enhance consumer engagement on billing and metering, followed by water in the third quarter. The final quarter will address the subtheme, myths and facts about water and electricity,” he stated.
Mr. Antwi urged utility managers to collaborate with the PURC to promote these thematic areas through educational initiatives to achieve meaningful results. He commended them for their successes last year, attributing it to effective collaboration that enabled them to meet their targets.
“We achieved our targets last year due to quarterly reviews and vigorous revenue mobilization activities. This is commendable. We are genuinely interested in the successes of NEDCo and the water company,” he said.
Focusing on the first quarter theme of regulatory relevance, Mr. Antwi noted that many customers are unaware of the commission’s mandate and emphasized the need for education regarding its relevance.
“We need to do this with our partners,” he added. In relation to the second quarter, he highlighted that most complaints received by the commission pertain to overbilling and issues surrounding illegal meters.
“We want you to take this seriously and work on it. You must educate consumers on the correct channels for acquiring meters and inform them about issues related to leakages that lead to billing discrepancies. We aim to put an end to this,” he stressed.
The PURC regional manager further urged utility providers to regularly reshuffle meter readers to prevent them from becoming too familiar with consumers, which can lead to the dissemination of incorrect information regarding meter acquisition.
“Your meter readers are causing chaos by enabling many people to acquire meters through improper channels,” he stated. He urged utility companies to engage with communities to educate them on proper meter acquisition methods and address their complaints effectively.
“Some meter readers remain in their positions for ten to fifteen years. You must reshuffle them or organize in-service training to ensure they perform their duties correctly. You need to focus on your meter readers,” he emphasized.
The Sunyani Area Manager of NEDCo, Mr. Addo attributed some issues related to meter readers to contractual agreements that lack a retirement age, stating, “Some of them cannot even see.”
He expressed a desire to terminate problematic employees rather than simply transferring them, as transfers allow them to continue their poor practices elsewhere.
By Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani