The Electricity Company of Ghana is owed about 8.9 Million Ghana Cedis by some health facilities in Volta and Oti Regions. The debt which spans from 2021 till date has been accrued over the years by Municipal and District hospitals, CHIPS Compound, Bungalows, and Health Directorate among others.
Ing. Michael Buabin, The Acting General Manager of ECG in the Volta Region who confirmed the figure indicated that “The Ho Teaching Hospital which leads the charts owes the ECG some 1.4 million Ghana Cedis but paid 40,000 Cedis on 24th March after several visits from ECG Officials. The Ho Municipal Hospital owes some 420,000, Peki Government Hospital 362,000, Keta Municipal Hospital 465,400”.
The ECG is embarking on a one-month nationwide exercise to retrieve about 5.7 billion Cedis from its debtors with about 220 million Cedis in the Volta Region.
Ing. Buabin added that the company has not disconnected any hospital yet.
According to The ECG Regional PRO, Mr. Benjamin Obeng Antwi, “As a company we don’t take delight in disconnecting customers as that is mostly the last resort in order to prevent the customer from accruing more debt and to enable the company gather more revenue to keep the electricity supply chain running”.
“We also know that these hospitals are sensitive facilities hence we need further engagements to enable them settle their arrears. We have visited most of them at their facilities and on Thursday,23rd March 2023 together with the PURC we met all health administrators, medical superintendents, and the Volta Regional Health Directorate to discuss how best we can settle these arrears. Further engagements between the company and the Regional Health Directorate also took place on Friday,24th March 2023 to have a clear roadmap on how to settle these debts”.
He added that the engagements have revealed that personnel occupying staff bungalows at these hospitals must pay their bills, some hospitals charge utilities as part of the bills given to customers,so they must pay their bills and also a decision will be taken on mortuaries to pay their bills since they generate revenue.
The administration blocks at these hospitals also owe the company but most of them are connected to the sensitive areas like theaters and wards hence making disconnection difficult.
“The hospitals are sensitive facilities that need the power to operate but if ECG fails to meet its target which includes their debt, it could affect the electricity supply chain which could affect the economy through the unavailability of power, hence we are appealing to them to start making some payment”, he said.
The PURC Regional Manager, Mr. Philip Agbezudor, during the engagement announced to the hospital administrators that hospitals are not exempted from disconnection.
According to him, the LI 2413,37, clearly states that any customer that owes ECG or GWCL has 14 days to settle their arrears. However, there is a special protection for hospitals because of the nature of their business so after the 14 days, the utility company must have a payment plan with them and give additional 21 days for payment before any disconnection should they default the payment plan.
He added that ECG has not adhered to the regulation by allowing these facilities to owe over 2 years. He urged the health facilities to make conscious efforts to pay their utility bills to enable the companies stay in business.
ECG is appealing to all customers to settle their arrears
