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High ‘service charges’: PURC ‘colluding’ with ECG?
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A lot of Ghanaians are expressing uncontrollable anger over the recent high service connection charges being implemented by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The ECG’s high service connection charges which took effect on 1st February, 2022, is particularly raking the bile of some young men and women who are ‘struggling’ to put up their own houses.
Also included in the ‘anger-circle’, are enterprising young Ghanaians who are venturing into the real estate development sector of the nation’s building and construction industry.
For instance, before the high service connection charges took effect on 1st February, 2022, the ECG charged GH¢400 to draw a single-phase service line from the nearest ECG pole to the customer-end installation and terminated it in an energy meter.
Currently, the ECG charges GH¢1,020 to draw a single-phase service line from the nearest ECG pole to the customer-end installation and terminates it in an energy meter, thus, adding GH¢620 to the previous charge of GH¢400.
Previously too, the ECG charged GH¢700 to draw a three-phase service line from the nearest ECG pole to the customer-end installation and terminated it in energy meter.
But currently, company charges GH¢1,920 to draw a three-phase service line from the nearest ECG pole to the customer-end installation and terminates it in an energy meter, thus, adding GH¢1,220 to the previous charge of GH¢700 .
Previously, when ECG installed a single-phase additional meter to customer-premises that already had an ECG service line and energy meter, it charged GH¢82.25 pesewas but now, it charges GH¢700 for a single-phase separate meter, thus, adding GH¢617.75 pesewas to the previous GH¢82.25 pesewas.
And for a three-phase separate meter, it now charges GH¢1,300 as against its previous charge of GH¢176, thus, adding GH¢1,124 to the previous GH¢176.
Judas Nii Ankrah, an Accra-based Chamber and Hall ‘house owner’ says; “the ECG’s new service connection charges are not only incredibly astronomical but also an attempt to encourage ‘struggling’ new house owners to ‘specialise’ in doing illegal electricity connection to their new ‘homes’.”
He said, “Government must quickly scrap the new service connection charges to enable people to light their ‘homes’,” adding that , “after all, we pay for the services of the ECG till thy kingdom come after their installation of the electricity in our ‘houses’.”
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) , usually, engages utility service providers in series of stakeholder consultation meetings to gather relevant data and enhance transparency and credibility in tariff review processes , as part of its mandate of examining and approving rates that will be charged for water and electricity tariffs in Ghana.
Following up on data submitted by the utility service providers, the PURC holds meetings to discuss updates, clarify and address other pertinent issues, besides making projections.
Such consultative meetings are intended to assist PURC in improving its rate-setting guidelines.
One young real estate developer also adds:”The PURC is also expected to hold extensive consultations with key stakeholders to ensure that tariff processes are more transparent before a final decision is made.”
He said:”PURC’s announcement of public input for the 2022 electricity tariff’s was absent, unlike the case of the previous years.”
A Takoradi-based landlord insists that in accordance with the PURC Act, 1997 (Act 538), “the PURC must initiate processes for the examination and approval of electricity and water tariffs but for the 2022 ECG service connection charges, the PURC failed to do so.”
He added:”Interested organisations, groups and the general public are invited to submit any inquiries or representations in respect of review of tariff’s to the PURC but for the year 2022 , nothing was heard from the PURC .”
The Assin Central Member of Parliament, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong , is urging President Akufo-Addo and the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, to quickly act against the implementation of the high electricity service connection charges and other tariff’s.
“The astronomical electricity service connection charges and other tariff’s will surely threaten the survival of businesses in the country”, he said, stressing that “it will also affect the chances of the New Patriotic Party , winning the 2024 national elections, if the Government sits idle for the PURC and the ECG to implement such atrocious electricity charges.”
Speaking on his NET 2 television network, Mr Agyapong said, “with the ridiculous electricity charges, businesses in the country will surely be heading towards a ditch.
“I don’t know the level of Independence of the PURC that makes them approve such electricity price increases like that but the President and the Energy Minister must not allow them to drive businesses into a ditch.”
The Minority in Parliament is also demanding the immediate suspension of what they describe as “clandestine hikes in electricity tariffs endorsed by the PURC.”
Addressing the press in Parliament on February 16, 2022, a ranking member on Energy and Mines Committee of Parliament, Mr. John Jinapor, said: “We did our own investigations and realised that the PURC has secretly approved the increase of electricity tariffs by huge margins.”
Mr Jinapor, who is also the Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu Constituency said:”The law demands that before the PURC can make such adjustments, they will need to consult the customers and consumers.
“Secondly, after the increment, they need to inform Ghanaians but they have done this secretly and they have started charging the people and this is insensitive and illegal.”
The PURC’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Bawah Munkaila, however, told TV3 in an interview on Thursday, February 17, 2022, that “the PURC has not yet adjusted tariffs for the year 2022.”
“But the fact of the matter is that the ridiculous electricity service connection charges and other tariffs are being implemented by the ECG,” Mr. Ernest Donkor, an angry new house owner who has applied for a new single-phase service connection line to his ‘nearly completed building ‘ at Somanya, has said.
“The ECG, without any prior notice, suddenly announced on social media in the middle of January, 2022, that the atrocious electricity service connection charges and other tariffs will take effect on 1st February, 2022, and, indeed, it took effect from that date without any whimper from the PURC,” Mr. Donkor added
Readers, from the foregoing what are your expectations from the Government, the PURC and the ECG in resolving the issues in contention?
By G. Frank Asmah
Contact email/ WhatsApp of the author:
asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
There is a culture that permeates all aspects of leadership in the advanced countries which I believe has contributed to the success in all aspects of their national lives. Citizens strive to excel so that they will not find themselves in a situation where they would have failed, to necessitate a decision to resign.
Countries where failure is frowned upon, it pushes the citizens to strive for success. In our part of the world, failure and mediocrity has become an accepted norm and therefore, there is no shame in failing in a particular position of leadership.
A head of an organisation mismanages the place and he does not see the need for him to resign. The appointing authority does not also see the need to sack him and so the merry go round continues.
It becomes friends and family as usual and if care is not taken, the rest of the world will leave us far, far behind.
The practice of resignation in parts of the world for failure in some parts of the world has to be institutionalised in our country too. It encourages the principle of accountability which is good for any organisation, sector of an economy or a country.
It promotes good governance, a necessary ingredient in the growth of the economy of any country.
When this practice becomes a culture, every individual, privileged to hold a position of trust, gives his or her full attention to the job assigned him or her, to ensure that objectives are achieved.
This trickles down to every individual down the chain of command and there are no rooms for errors.
That is how efficient systems are built over time and this is the difference between advanced nations and third world countries.
Where systems are designed such that people take responsibility for things that go wrong under their supervision or ultimate responsibility, there is evidence of development.
There are a few people that I admire in Ghana as far as this culture of resignation based on principled stance. One of them is the late Mrs Emma Mitchell. She was a cabinet member but chose to resign after the confrontation between late President Jerry Rawlings and late Vice President Kow Akaah.
She was not prepared to be part of a cabinet which was lying to the general public that Rawlings did not assault Akaah.
She was of the conviction that telling the truth is more honourable than telling lies and that if she was bound by confidentiality oaths to tell a lie, then she would resign and she did exactly that.
That is how we build a culture of truth and accountability. We have people in positions who have not lived up to expectation but are still holding on to their positions not prepared to let go of it.
This is a clear case of display of selfishness, trying to be a Boss instead of a Servant to serve the people, which leadership is all about.
The ineffectiveness of some leaders, often result in waste of resources which could have been channeled to other sectors of the economy which could have been more productive. A culture of voluntary resignation must be advocated for by all stakeholders, especially the CSOs, traditional leaders and the clergy.
This is the only way the needed growth in every sector of our national life would manifest.
Presidents, Prime Ministers, heads of reputable organisations have voluntarily resigned by taking ultimate responsibility and it is about time, we started seeing it manifest in our country.
The people in charge of our sports especially our soccer, can initiate this long desired culture and resign in view of the embarrassment witnessed from the defeat of the Black Stars by Gambia. God bless.
BY LAUD KISS-MENSAH
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THE QUR’AN FORBIDS RELIGIOUS PROVOCATION
There is a remarkable verse in the Qur’an which every Muslim preacher should memorise.
Allah says:
“And do not insult those they invoke besides Allah, lest they insult Allah in hostility without knowledge.” (Qur’an 6:108).
Think about this carefully.
Allah knows that the unbelievers worship false gods.
Yet Allah tells Muslims: Do not insult their objects of worship.
Why?
Because your speech may provoke an even greater offence.
This establishes a profound principle:
A Muslim must not fight religious provocation with religious provocation.
If someone insults what we hold sacred, we do not respond by insulting what they hold sacred.
If someone attacks Islam, we defend Islam with knowledge.
If someone misrepresents Muhammad (pbuh), we explain who is Muhammad to him.
If someone lies about Islam, we answer with truth and knowledge.
We do not allow another person’s bad behaviour to dictate our own morality.
LOOK AT MUHAMMAD (PBUH) — HE WAS INSULTED BEFORE WE WERE
Servant of Allah,
Sometimes we speak as though the Prophet (pbuh) lived in a world where everyone respected him.
No.
He was mocked and insulted. Quran 37:36, Quran 15:6
He was called a liar, magician, and a mad man. Quran 51:52, Quran 17:47
He was ridiculed. Quran 6:10
His followers were tortured, and some were killed. Quran 85:8-10
He himself was persecuted, leading to his migration to Madina.
Yet he remained the Messenger of Allah.
Allah said:
“Indeed, we know that your heart is distressed by what they say.” (Qur’an 15:97)
Allah acknowledged the Prophet’s pain.
Islam does not say that insults do not hurt. They hurt.
But the question is: What do you do with the pain?
THE DAY OF TA’IF: WHEN THE PROPHET (PBUH) COULD HAVE CHOSEN
REVENGE
One of the most powerful examples is the journey of the Prophet (pbuh) to Ta’if.
He went seeking support for his message.
Instead, the people rejected him and incited their children and others against him.
He was chased.
He was insulted.
He was struck with stones until his feet bled.
He was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Then the Angel of the Mountains came to him.
The two angels offered to crush the people of Ta’if between the mountains.
The Prophet (pbuh) could have said: “Do it.”
But he did not.
Instead, he hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who would worship Him.
This account is recorded in the authentic hadith literature, including Sahih Muslim (Muslim, 1795).
What a lesson!
The Prophet (pbuh) had suffered injustice.
But he did not turn his pain into indiscriminate revenge.
He saw beyond the offender.
He saw the possibility of tomorrow.
And this is one of the greatest characteristics of prophetic leadership:
The Prophet (pbuh) did not merely ask, “What punishment does this person deserve?”
He also asked, in effect: “What can this person become?”
THE PROPHET IN MADINAH: LEADER OF A DIVERSE SOCIETY
When Muhammad (pbuh) migrated to Madinah, he did not enter an empty city.
Madinah contained different communities, including Muslims and Jews, and there were also Christians who interacted with the Muslim community.
The Prophet became the political and communal leader of Madinah.
The Sahifah (A Covenant) of Madinah, preserved in the early sīrah (Prophet’s biography) tradition, established arrangements concerning mutual obligations, security, justice and relations among the communities of the city.
This is important:
The Prophet did not build Madinah by teaching Muslims to hate everyone who was not Muslim.
He built a society governed by covenant, responsibility and justice.
Allah says:
“Allah does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who have neither fought you because of your religion nor driven you from your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Qur’an 60:8)
This is not weakness.
This is Islam.
THE PROPHET DEALT WITH JEWS IN MADINAH
‘A’ishah (Wife of the Prophet) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) bought food from a Jewish man on credit and gave him his iron armour as collateral.
“The Prophet purchased food from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armour to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2068)
Think about it.
This was Muhammad.
The Messenger of Allah.
Yet he conducted lawful commercial dealings with a Jewish citizen.
He did not say: “He is not a Muslim, therefore I cannot deal with him.”
No.
Islam gave him a relationship governed by justice and trust.
Jabir رضيهللاعنه narrated:
“A funeral procession passed before us and the Prophet (pbuh) stood up, and we stood with him. We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is the funeral of a Jew.’ He said: ‘When you see a funeral procession, stand.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1311)
Another narration records his response: “Is it not a soul?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1312–1313)
What kind of heart did Muhammad (pbuh) possess?
A heart that recognised human dignity even in death.
THE PROPHET AND THE CHRISTIANS OF NAJRAN
The Prophet also received the Christian delegation of Najran.
They disagreed with him theologically.
Yet when they requested a trustworthy person, he did not choose someone because of hatred.
He selected Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah.
The Prophet said:
“I shall send with you a man who is truly trustworthy.”
He then appointed Abu ‘Ubaydah.
This is authentically reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 4380–4381.
Notice something profound:
The Prophet could disagree with people without becoming dishonest toward them.
That is the standard we need today.
The author is the chief Imam of Katamanso Municipal and Certified Counsellor and Governance Expert.
