Member of Parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, says some unscrupulous people within the Electricity Company of Ghana [ECG] may be behind the recent overbilling of consumers.
He told the House on Tuesday that he believes there may be administrative lapses at the ECG which some unscrupulous officials have taken advantage of to overbill consumers of electricity in the country,TV3’s Evelyn Tengmaa reports.
There have been increasing complaints of overbilling across the country, while hundreds of consumers have complained about the speed with which credits on their prepaid electricity metres run out.
Some businesses have resolved to relocate to neighbouring Ivory Coast due largely to high cost of electricity which they say is crippling their businesses.
An Italian Restaurant – Bread & Wine – based in Accra issued a closure notice to its customers and clients early this year over what the company believed to be overbilling to the tune of about GHC 60,000.
Although the PURC in December 2015 announced a 59.2 per cent increment in electricity, many consumers believe they are paying higher than the approved percentage. Notwithstanding assurances from both the ECG and the Power Ministry, the situation continue unabated.
Making a statement in Parliament Tuesday, Alhaji Muntaka observed how the situation is bringing undue hardship to ordinary Ghanaians, and expressed worry the situation could undermine the President’s effort at solving the country’s power crisis.
He thus suggested to the House to invite the Power Minister to brief the MPs on what the real issues are and what his ministry and the ECG are doing to rectify whatever the issues may be.
Other MPs including Major [Retd.] Derek Oduro of Nkoranza North, and Alhaji Amadu Sorogho of Madina expressed their displeasure at the situation.
Alhaji Sorogho who is the Chairman of Energy Committee said electricity bills have been increased by over 300 per cent and believes some individuals are tempering with the ECG prepaid metres.
He said the Committee is in discussion with the Power Minister over the issue of overbilling, noting the Minister is scheduled to appear before the Committee on Thursday to explain steps being taken to address the issue.
The Speaker of Parliment Edward Doe Adjaho asked the Committee to continue to engage the Minister on the issue and report back to the House accordingly.
By Stephen Kwabena Effah|3news.com|Ghana
Twitter @steviekgh