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General News on Friday, May 31, 2019
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2019-05-31
Some of the protesters arrested by the police were reportedly forced to lie prostrate.
The Consumer Advocacy Center (CAC), Ghana, advises residents of Yilo Krobro, in the Eastern Region, not to pay the accumulated electricity bills as of 2014, as requested by the Power Distribution Company (PDS). ).
In a press release, CAC stated that the law did not allow the utility to charge consumers for electricity or water that was consumed but not billed for more than 12 months.
Ghana's Law on Public Services L.I. Regulation (8) of Regulation 1816 (20) states that "when a supplier fails to bill a customer for a period of twelve (12) months, the supplier may recover the cost of that service only if the delay in billing took place a. without negligence on the part of the supplier, or b. because of the customer's actions. "
According to the aforementioned law, the above-mentioned law frees residents of Yilo Krobo from the payment of electricity bills accumulated since 2014.
"According to the record, there is no indication that consumers have prevented, frustrated or prevented the PDS (Ghana Electricity Company) from fulfilling their obligations to charge this category of electricity." consumers, "reads the statement.
The utility announced last week that it had cleaned up its billing system from 195,725,500.29 to 84,625,624.87 ¢, leaving residents with 84,625,624.87 ¢ to settle. after a violent clash between the police and the inhabitants following the mbadive disconnection accumulated debts.
Residents reportedly blocked the city's main street to prevent PDS officers escorted by police from cutting off the main transformer that was supplying the city with electricity.
Wednesday's clashes left a 14-year-old boy dead and two others in critical condition.
As a sign of commitment to recover power, residents must make a payment from Friday. Clients who can not pay a check can consult PDS for a debt rescheduling plan.
Some of the protesters arrested by the police were reportedly forced to lie prostrate.
These were part of the roadmap for peace and the PDS to connect the Odumase community to the national network after things went bad.
Representatives of the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC) participated in Friday's meeting; MP for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Telarbi, Director General of the Tema Region and PDS staff.
However, CAC in its statement said that since PDS in its deliberations with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), admitted that failures in its internal system had resulted in the failure of Yilo Krobo's billing. CAC therefore considers that the requests made to residents to pay the bills are illegal and unacceptable.
CAC is also unhappy that PURC has asked consumers to pay the bills and that MP Ebenezer Terlabi, who started negotiations between PURC and PDS, did not defend the consumer's right to benefit from this law.
They called the PURC to declare that it is illegal for the PDS to disconnect electricity consumers when the supplier has not fulfilled its obligation under the rules and called for a renegotiation of conditions.
"We hereby invite the PURC to reconvene the meeting of the parties and to renegotiate new terms of the agreement, while keeping in mind the strict application of L.I. 1816. "
The VAC also urged the concerned consumers in Yilo Krobo not to pay for the years during which PDS refused / failed to bill the supplies.
Read the full press release:
After a thorough investigation into the disturbances in the Yilo Krobo areas between electricity consumers and the electricity distribution company (PDS), the Consumer Protection Center (CAC) of Ghana found that electricity supplier were illegally illegal and unacceptable. and very unhappy.
Ghana's Law on Public Services L.I. Sub-regulation (8) of Regulation 1816 (8) clearly disapproves of the PDS's position as a supplier who gives up its billing tasks. We hereby wish to inform the PDS management of this particular law stating: "When a supplier fails to bill a customer for a period of twelve (12) months, he may not recover the cost of this service, unless the delay in billing has occurred
a. without negligence on the part of the supplier or b. because of the actions of the customer »
According to the record, there is no indication that consumers have prevented / frustrated or prevented the PDS (Ghana Electricity Company) from fulfilling their obligations to bill this category of consumers. . Even in their deliberations with the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), the PDS admitted that the non-billing of Yilo Krobo's consumers was the result of their own internal system failures.
The Consumer Advocacy Center, inspired by L.I. 1816 therefore asks the concerned electricity consumers, Yilo Krobo, not to pay for the years during which PDS refused / failed to bill the supplies.
As a result, we are disappointed by the PURC having asked the consumers concerned to pay for the negligence of the PDS, even with regard to the 2005 technical and operational (electricity supply and distribution) rules (L.I. 1816). We hereby call on the PURC to enforce the rights of the Ghanaian consumer as registered and guaranteed by law.
The Consumer Center wishes to remind the Member of Parliament, the Local Assembly, the Assembly members, leaders and opinion leaders of the Yilo Krobo region that the laws of Ghana do not Not allow the utility provider to charge consumers for electricity or water consumed but not billed for a period of more than 12 months. We are not happy that the Member of Parliament who initiated the negotiation with PURC did not defend the consumer's right under this law.
We hereby call on the PURC to reconvene the meeting of the parties and to renegotiate new terms of agreement, keeping in mind the strict application of L.I. 1816. In addition, we invite the PURC to declare that it is illegal for the PDS to disconnect electricity consumers when the supplier has not fulfilled its obligations under the rules. The mbad disconnection that took place in the areas of Yilo Krobo is illegal and the PURC has to call it so. The Consumer Advocacy Center will not hesitate to take legal action to ensure strict compliance with L.I. 1816 and relieve Ghanaian consumers if the arbitrator did not do justice.
Sign.
BENJAMIN ESSUMAIN
DIRECTOR, CORPORATE AFFAIRS
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