ECG Board Members Fined GH¢5.8M By PURC For Not Providing Notice For Dumsor

• The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission has fined board members of the Electricity Company of Ghana for not providing a load-shedding timetable
• Keli Gadzekpo and ECG Managing Director Samuel Dubik Mahama have been affected by the fine
• The commission said there were 4,142 outages carried out within the period covering the fine

The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has fined the nine board members of the Electricity Company of Ghana GH¢5,868,000 for not providing a load-shedding timetable.

The affected board members served between January 1 to March 18, 2024.

The fine is because the board members violated Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413, which requires prior notification to consumers before any power interruption.

The commission earlier directed the ECG to provide a load management timetable by April 2, 2024, amid erratic power supply.

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Keli Gadzekpo, who resigned as board chair on March 26, 2024, and the company's Managing Director, Samuel Dubik Mahama, have been affected by the fine.

PURC, in a letter on Monday, April 15, said there were 4,142 outages carried out within the fine period.

Out of this, PURC said 165, representing 3.98 percent of the total outages, were ECG-planned outages.

Only 40 of the outages were preceded by public notices.

PURC also said 38 out of the 40 notices did not give the required three days' notice.

The regulator is thus imposing a fine of 3,000 penalty units on the company for each breach it committed.

The nine board members have up to May 30, 2024, to pay the fine into a dedicated fuel account under the joint control of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance.

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Recent erratic power supply

Ghanaians have faced erratic power supply over the past year, which has intensified recently.

Despite the power cuts, the ECG has said there is no need for a load-shedding timetable.

The Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, controversially dismissed calls for a load-shedding timetable.

Prempeh assured that there were plans to fix the recent power supply challenges.

He also maintained that the power situation is now better than it was under the John Mahama administration a few years ago.

Major hospitals facing disconnection over GH¢261m debt

YEN.com.gh reported that some hospitals face disconnection from the power grid because of monies owed to the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Due to outstanding debts, the company has threatened to disconnect 91 hospitals from the national grid.

The health facilities, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the 37 Military Hospital, collectively owe GH¢261 million.

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This move is part of the ECG’s comprehensive effort to recover funds owed by customers to strengthen its operational capabilities.

Source: YEN.com.gh