PURC has failed Ghanaians - Former AGI veep

The Former Vice Chair of Ashanti and Brong Ahafo branches of Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), William Awuku Ahiadome has lashed out at officials of Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for failing Ghanaians in the delivery of power.

Ahiadome blamed PURC for failing to fight for the needs of consumers, thereby allowing the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) enforce policies that have dire consequences on consumers.

He believes the PURC has never been there for consumers in the country, blaming the ECG for ripping citizens off their monies.

‘‘PURC as an institution has failed Ghanaians, PURC more less is just like a department of the Utilities, works hand in hand with them and comes out only when there is already public outcry, they never led us in the regulation, somebody must complain, shouting, should be all over the place, then they come out and behave like we are yet to regulate, you see we are just talking about it, we have decided to punish them, the truth is that PURC has never been there for consumers,’ he asserted.

Touching on the new billing software by the ECG Ahiadome wondered why the PURC would implement a policy without testing it on pilot basis.

According to him, it was a wrong move by the ECG to carry all its consumers unto the new software without knowing the challenges there after.

Speaking to the Host of Ultimate breakfast show, Lantam Papanko, he said, the ECG would have saved consumers the trouble associated with the new software if it had embarked on a pilot exercise.

‘Why would you want an institution that is heavily regulated try a software without piloting it, why would you get up one morning and say that am moving form an old software to a new software without picking some selected communities, homes, industries and try them with the billing system, and getting all the challenges that can bring out. And solve all those before you can escalate it to all the other consumers.

It was wrong for the ECG to move everybody to a software without trying the software first on a pilot basis. It was even wrong for the regulator, PURC to sit down and watch it happen. PURC is just not being proactive,’ he expressed worry.

He accused officials of PURC for being in bed with the power distributors.

‘PURC is in bed with the utilities themselves, it’s actually paid by the utilities, otherwise why would the regulator sit down for you to change a software like we have had it now. and then the whole country is in trouble, and the regulator did not notice it in day one, two,… why would you wait for it to continue running for nearly 8-9 months, then you come back and say that there is something wrong. What were they waiting for,’ he quizzed.