GWCL initiates direct bill paying system.

Accra, March 20, GNA - The Accra West Region of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) would from the beginning of April require its customers to pay their bills at GWCL designated points, post offices and branches of commercial banks.

This measure has become necessary because the house-to-house revenue collection system, which the company adopted years ago, was facing numerous problems.

The new method, which would start with the Dansoman District would be extended to cover Accra West, Accra North West I, Accra North West II and Bortianor Districts, all in the Accra West Region.

Mr. Fredd Lokko, Accra West Region Chief Manager of GWCL announced this at a Public Forum at Sukura, a suburb of Accra. The forum, which was organized by the GWCL, was to sensitise the public about the changes made and to solicit their opinions on the whole exercise.

Mr. Lokko noted that because of the problems facing the system of revenue collection, the company felt it was about time they adopted a more efficient method which would afford consumers enough freedom to decide when, where and how to pay their bills as it happened in the case of Electricity Company Limited and Ghana Telecom.

He also said there was too much pressure on their meter readers, who had to add revenue collection to their core functions of meter reading and bill distribution.

He said the new method would, to large extent, minimize the practice of some unscrupulous individuals who took advantage of the system and went round with fake receipts in the name of GWCL to dupe unsuspecting customers.

Mr. Lokko also urged customers to assist GWCL by going to the various revenue collection points to pay their bills to enable them to expand their systems to improve the water supply situation. During question time, some people called on GWCL to provide revenue collection points, and to solve the problem of irregular water flow in the area. 20 March 04