Customers in C/R owe ECG 40 billion cedis

Cape Coast, Dec. 20, GNA - Customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the Central Region owe the company 40 billion cedis and the company is making strenuous efforts to retrieve it.

About 800 of such customers, have already been taken to court, while an additional 2,000 customers within Cape Coast Municipality are also being processed for court.

Alhaji Dauda Jangu, Central Regional Director of the company who announced this at a press soiree on Monday, expressed dismay at the attitude of some customers and wondered how the company could offer quality services, when such large amounts of money were in debt. However, he gave the assurance that in spite of the indebtedness, the company would ensure uninterrupted services and had spent about 14 billion cedis on projects to improve upon its service delivery. Some of the projects are the extension of power supply to Aduedue at Swedru, and the "injection and system improvement" at Amamoma near the University of Cape Coast and Ansapatu in the Twifo-Hemang Lower Denkyira district.

Others are the extension of power supply to the Nkanfoa new site at Cape Coast and New Akweley at Kasoa, the rehabilitation of distribution network at Asaaman, a suburb of Elmina and the extension and upgrading of power to Agona Duakwa and Nsaba.

The Central Regional Director, said in addition, 250 million cedis was spent this year to clear weeds under electricity cables to minimize power interruptions.

On installation of meters, he cautioned customers against dealing with middlemen, a practice, which had created the impression that it was difficult to acquire meters from the company and urged customers to deal directly with officials of the company.

Alhaji Jangu urged customers to consult officials of the company when wiring their new premises and expressed concern that most of the domestic fire outbreaks could be attributed to sub-standard wiring, and also the electrical wiring in most houses had become old and should be changed.

"Most of the houses are old and the wirings have peeled off, in some cases, the earth wire is broken. The wiring have become exposed and are electrocuting livestock," He added. He appealed to the media, to help educate the public on the importance of paying their bills promptly.