GNA-Many institutions in the Volta Region have settled their indebtedness to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as the Company mobilises more than GHC 27 million from clients within three weeks.
This comes after the ECG launched an aggressive one-month revenue mobilisation campaign to retrieve 5.7 billion national debts with the Volta and Oti responsible for some GHC 220 million from its debtors to support the power sector and Ghana’s economy.
He said ECG has made some progress in revenue collection and is poised to achieve its target.
The exercise has seen the ECG Officials visit some state institutions, hotels, tertiary institutions among others, who owed the Company for power consumed, for which some disconnections were made.
Mr Michael Buabin, the Acting General Manager for ECG in the Volta Region, in a chat with the Ghana News Agency said the response from customers had been positive as most of customers had settled all arrears.
He added that unfortunately some of the companies were disconnected from the national grid before they made payments and entreated them to cultivate the habit of settling what was consumed.
“The Bank of Ghana at Hohoe, the Ho Nursing Training College, KFC and Melcom (Aflao Branch have settled their indebtedness when ECG disconnection taskforce visited them.
According to the Acting General Manager, the Ho Airport and KFC had cleared their arrears with the ECG owing them now.
D INVITRO LABS, a factory in Sogakope paid 526,047.23 last week. Their debt of 118,483 is their current bill, which they received last week, and they have promised to settle it soon.
He disclosed that Volta Forest and Matador Multimedia, two companies in Hohoe, have been disconnected for owing ECG more than GHS 950,000 and GHS 65,000 respectively.
Mr Buabin disclosed that the following companies have settled all their arrears with the ECG “Sogakope Beach Resort, Brazil Agro, Sogakope Red Bull Academy, Regency Salt.”
Some institutions like the NCA, GCB, Stevens Hotel and Skyplus Hotel never owe ECG as they always paid their current bills and deserved some commendation.
“We would like to commend all these customers for supporting this exercise through the patriotic act of paying for electricity consumed and all other customers and institutions should emulate this patriotic act.”
The Acting General Manager revealed that some Municipal and District Assemblies that were visited or disconnected had settled part of their arrears and were on a payment plan.
“Afadzato South Assembly gave a cheque for GHS 10,500 out of GHS 11,111. Adaklu District Assembly also paid GHS 12,500 out of GHS14,000. Agortime Ziope District Assembly paid GHS 11,000 out of GHS 13,000 debt.
South Dayi District Assembly had paid GHS 24,000 out of GHS31, 500. Ho West District has paid GHS 25,000 out of GHS 41,000, while the Akatsi South District Assembly has paid GHS50,000 out of GHS70,000.”
Tertiary institutions like University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) have paid GHS 1.2 million out of GHS 1.4 million while the Ho Technical University paid GHS 200,000 out of GHS 535,000.
Mr Buabin appealed to customers to prioritize the payment of electricity bills to enable ECG to serve them better.
By Maxwell Awumah
GNA