Suspending billing in right direction - Energy Committee

Hon. Mutawakilu Adam, MP for Damango constituency, in the Northern region and Vice-Chairman for the Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament, has said that the decision by the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), ordering the Electricity of Ghana (ECG) to suspend the implementation of their new billing software until further notice.

A statement from the PURC, said the directive has been "necessitated by Complaints which it has received from consumers of Electricity regarding issues of over billing."

Speaking to Rainbow Radio in an interview, Hon. Adam said Parliament is happy about the directive as they are also concerned over the "outrageous over-billing" on consumers.

The topic came up for debate yesterday before the House with legislators suggesting to the Speaker, to invite the Power Ministry and appropriate institutions to appear before the House to brief them on the measures adopted to rectify the challenge.

Parliamentarians he noted are also consumers and are experiencing the same challenges while they also represent their constituents who are being affected by the over billing.

The Committee he revealed had already initiated a process to engage the Power Ministry and its agencies to brief Parliament on the high billing.

Again, although PURC had given a directive for the ECG to suspend its billing, they will go further with their oversight responsibility in ensuring that they get the bottom of the matter.

The PURC he explained has the right to protect the consumer and for them to direct the ECG to suspend the billing, is "in the right direction and very important".

"PURC set up tariffs for power and water sectors to operate...And therefore if consumers are being charged beyond the tariffs and laid down regulations- PURC is supposed to intervene to protect the consumer and already that one has been taken care of. But irrespective of that, as Parliament and representatives of the people, we will still carry out our oversight responsibility and ensure that consumers have the right benefit".

He hinted of a meeting with the Ministry of Power and its stakeholders including the PURC to brief the Committee on the way forward.