Electricity Company Can Now Be Sued

The Electricity Company of Ghana can now be sued for lapses in its services. This follows the revoking of its Electrical Power Regulations 1998, Legislative Instrument L.I. 1366, which sought to insulate the ECG from liability for certain acts. The Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation as well as experts from the energy industry who revoked the Legislative Instrument have drafted new electricity regulations titled “Electricity Distribution and Supply (Technical and Operational) Rules 2002 L.I. 1702 at Akosombo.”

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation said the action was taken because the blanket indemnity in regulation 10 of the L.I. 1366 cannot be allowed any longer at this time when the general view is that ECG of Ghana must improve its services. He said the company must be seen performing its day-to-day functions as expected of, it in order not to incur the displeasure of the customer.

It will be recalled that on the 11th of June this year, L.I. 1702 had to be withdrawn from Parliament because there was no agreement between the Energy Commission and the various stakeholders in the industry. This resulted in a 3-day workshop organized by the Energy Commission, with the Parliamentary Committee on Subsidiary Legislation to deliberate on issues relating to electricity distribution, supply connection, schedules etc. It was also aimed at addressing certain things, which were missing from the said L.I. and incorporate the concerns raised by the stakeholders in the new policy guideline.

The new draft policy, which is expected to be laid before Parliament soon after recess is made to regulate among others, the supply and metering of electricity, billing and payment of bills. The deliberations on the new bill was characterised by agreements, hot exchanges among participants, particularly ECG representatives who felt they were being ripped off their perceived alienable powers. But at the end of it all, the discussants agreed that a new legislation be passed to protect both the suppliers and consumers of electricity.