A former Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Charles Wereko Brobby, has commended the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s (PURC), for slapping a fine on the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), saying the regulator acted appropriately.
The PURC has fined the ECG an amount of Gh¢ 202,640.00 for breaching laws regarding the sale and purchase prepaid of units. According to the PURC, the ECG breached LI 1861 and LI 1935.
In a statement, it indicated that, the penalty also “covers the Electricity Company of Ghana’s (ECG) refusal to provide contingency measures to ensure customers of pre-payment metering could proceed to buy credits during the industrial strike which was embarked on by ECG workers in the first week of September.” But there are reports within the management of the ECG, suggesting that the company would resist the fine.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Wereko Brobby insisted that the ECG ought to pay the fine, saying “the PURC has acted rightly in asking the management of ECG to pay, and if they won’t pay they have to show just cause and reason why they won’t pay…To simply say we will not pay and we are not responsible, that is anarchy…I think it is unfortunate that anybody will say they wouldn’t pay because they think it is capricious and it is not their fault.”
He further added that, the ECG should be compelled to give tangible explanations as to why it should not be fined, if it decides to challenge the PURC’s move.
“I think what we ought to be very clear about is that, if indeed there is a law that has been breached by the workers of ECG, then ECG’s board and management who are responsible and have gotten a contract with the PURC ought to be able to explain why the law was breached and also explain any effort they made to stop the unfortunate action, knowing the workers were going to breach the law.”
“If we give the impression that management of a corporation cannot be held responsible then we are laying down the grounds of anarchy in which anybody can decide.” It would be recalled that workers of the ECG who are members of PUWU, embarked on strike for days in protest against government’s decision to privatize portions of the company which they claim will affect them, and is not in the larger national interest.
During the period of the strike, ECG customers were left stranded at prepaid centers, a situation the PURC says breaches the law.
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