The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr. Shafic Suleman, led a delegation from the Commission to the Ashanti West Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The visit aimed to find out about the recent power challenges, strengthen the regulator-utility relationship, understand regional operational dynamics, and identify collaborative solutions to enhance electricity service delivery in the region.
Dr. Suleman expressed his gratitude to the ECG team for their warm reception. He fondly recalled his connection to the region, having obtained his bachelor’s degree in Ashanti, and praised the rich culture and legacy of the Ashanti Kingdom.
Dr. Suleman reaffirmed the Commission’s readiness to collaborate closely with ECG to ensure quality and efficient electricity service delivery. He acknowledged the multifaceted nature of the challenges—operational, financial, administrative, and technical—and pledged PURC’s support in addressing them. He emphasized the importance of fostering a harmonized utility-regulator relationship built on shared goals and mutual accountability.
Dr. Suleman encouraged ECG to be more proactive in upholding national service standards and urged the company to scale up efforts in meter provision, especially as the customer base continues to grow. He assured ECG that his office remains open to ongoing dialogue and collaboration.
Dr. Suleman raised the need for closer collaboration among ECG, PURC, the Regional Minister, and security agencies to ensure the protection of ECG installations. He emphasized that basic security services must be provided to secure the assets critical to service delivery.
The Director for Regional Operations and Consumer Services, Alhaji Jabaru, commenting on Regulatory and Operational Insights, added that with the implementation of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2413, regulatory enforcement has seen significant progress, with recoveries now outweighing compensations. He encouraged ECG to align with these regulatory advancements and emphasized the need for:
- Stronger customer relations strategies
- A work order sheet system to help curb cable theft
- Improved response mechanisms to customer-based challenges
On his part, Dr. Eric Obutey, Director of Research and Corporate Affairs at PURC, highlighted the importance of effective communication, especially through radio, to better engage with customers across the region. He also advised ECG to familiarize itself thoroughly with LI 2413 to align its operations with current regulatory expectations.
The General Manager of ECG Ashanti West, Ing. George Amoah, expressed his team's appreciation to the Executive Secretary and Management of PURC for the courtesy visit and the opportunity for such a collaborative engagement.
Ing. Amoah noted that the Ashanti West region comprises eight (8) operational districts, serving approximately 473,570 customers, including 201 special load customers. Of this customer base, 379,001 are on prepaid meters, 104,368 are on postpaid meters
The region has maintained an average revenue collection rate of 86%, while current distribution losses stand at 27.7%.
Ing. Amoah highlighted some persistent and critical challenges affecting ECG’s operations in the region: Power and infrastructure theft, Vandalism of ECG assets, Installation of meters by unauthorized agents ("Goro boys"), Shortage of materials and essential equipment
Despite these challenges, he emphasized ECG’s commitment to prioritizing customer satisfaction and appealed to the Executive Secretary for support in addressing especially metering-related issues, which continue to hamper service delivery and customer confidence.
Dr. Shafic reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to working with all Stakeholders to keep the lights on and ensure customer satisfaction.
Dr. Suleman thanked the ECG team for the frank discussions and committed to open collaboration to tackle existing challenges. He further emphasized that ongoing partnership and strategic dialogue will be key to improving power distribution and regulatory compliance in the region.
