PURC through African Development Bank Group launches Database Management System Phase 2

The Public Regulatory Commission (PURC) through the African Development Bank Group(AfDB) has launched a Database Management System (DBMS) Phase 2 to help improve customer service and keep utility providers in check.

The launch of DBMS 2 came off on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at the Kempinski Golden Hotel in Accra.

The innovative digitalization initiative, which Phase 1 was birthed through AfDB's Electricity Regulatory Index for Africa (ERI) report, seeks to improve the quality and effectiveness of energy regulation and also ensure the availability and accessibility of energy data to improve the sector.

Speaking at the event that was graced by dignitaries from the energy sector, Ms. Fasika Eyerusalem the Country Manager for AfDB confirmed that, the Bank funded the Phase 2 project which cost an estimated $590,000.

"The initiative we are launching today is an estimated 590,000 USD project funded by the AfDB through the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund. This is aimed at the integration of digital platforms of regulators and utility service providers in Ghana across the electricity value chain including generation, transmission, and distribution for real-time information and data exchanges with concise visualisation. This is the second phase of the digitalization process which aims to close the digital loop for regulators and utilities in Ghana," she said.

She pointed out that the Bank was excited to fund the Phase 2 of the DBMS after the success of Phase 1, which was introduced in 2021.

"In June 2021, the Bank through the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation
(KOAFEC) Trust Fund supported Public Utilities Regulatory Commission
(PURC) to deploy the highly impactful Database Management System (DBMS), as a one-stop solution to enhance regulatory performance along key indicators such as transparency and stakeholder participation in the regulatory process, accountability of the regulator, quality of service delivery monitoring among others."

"I am informed that, the deployment of the DBMS for PURC under phase I is a major contributory factor to the improved regulatory performance observed for Ghana on the Electricity Regulatory Index, moving from 7th ranked country in 2021 to 4th in 2022. The Bank is delighted to observe that, the DBMS continues to have positive impact and traction in Ghana and across the continent."

The Executive Director of the PURC, Dr. Ishmael Ackah, highlighted how impactful the DBMS Phase 1 has been to the regulatory body.

"We have the Data Base Management Phase 1, which is for the internal use of PURC to promote efficiency, cut down printing, and also effectively help manage our complaint system. It helps us to be closer to the customer and makes it easier for customers to complain and for us to build a good record."

Regarding the DMB Phase 2, he noted that it will help the regulatory body keep the Utility customer assistance in check and most importantly get live and credible data and also verify the data presented by the Utility.

"The second Phase is linking the PURC system to that of the utilities. For instance, when a customer goes to a utility to complain we get an alert...It also helps us know when the Utility responded to the customer. In this way, we get live data and credible data. Not data the utility writes and sends us but we all have live data."

"There are three main challenges. The first one is the timely release of Data by the Utility to the PURC, so this will help address that. The second one is the credibility of the Data. Again it will also help us to get live data. And finally, it provides a system for verification. So we are not cutting out reports from the utility, they will still send their report on their tariffs and their quality indicators but this will provide a form of verification. So we can compare what they have submitted and what we are receiving from the system," he added.

He further explained that only water and electricity are on the complain management aspect of the DMB Phase 2.

"The complains management is for both water and electricity. However, in terms of gathering data we want to link it to ECG, NEDCO, Enlef Power, and Ghana Water Ltd."

The PURC is currently known as the pioneer of the DMB project in Africa and after the success of Phase 1, AfDB through Ms Eyerusalem announced that Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Liberia, and Guinea have all turned in a request to implement the DBMS system.