The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has raised concerns over the recent sanctions imposed by the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) on the directors of ECG.
According to Mr. Mahama, the sanctions were imposed without giving the directors the opportunity to defend themselves or present their side of the story.
Mr. Mahama pointed out that the approach taken by the PURC is arbitrary and unreasonable. He criticized the commission for imposing sanctions based on alleged incidents of infraction without considering the overall context of the situation. He also highlighted that the decision to hold the Board of Directors responsible for the regulatory charges imposed by PURC is unsupported by legal grounds.
In a statement, Mr. Mahama called on the Commission to withdraw the sanctions and allow ECG the opportunity to address any alleged breaches of its duties. He emphasized the importance of fairness and due process in regulatory actions against public utilities.
The PURC had ordered the Board Members of ECG to pay a fine of Five Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS5,868,000.00) for the company’s failure to notify customers about power outages earlier this year. The Commission justified the fine by stating that payment from ECG’s revenue could negatively impact the quality of service and consumers.
The Board Members have been given a six-week ultimatum to pay the fine into a dedicated account controlled by the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance. The PURC warned that failure to comply with the order could result in further regulatory actions against ECG.
The ECG has been facing criticism over the ongoing power supply challenges in the country, commonly known as ‘Dumsor’. The Board Chairman of ECG, Mr. Keli Gadzekpo, recently resigned for personal reasons amidst the growing pressure on the utility company to address the power crisis.
