In a letter dated March 18, 2024, PURC instructed ECG to release a load-shedding timetable by April 2, 2024, a directive that was flagrantly ignored without any explanation.
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PURC fines ECG board members GH¢5.8m over failure to release dumsor timetable
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) board members who served from January 1 to March 18, 2024, including former Board Chair Keli Gadzekpo and current Managing Director Samuel Dubik Mahama, have been fined GH¢5,868,000 by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) for violating Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413, which mandates prior notification to consumers before any power interruption.
ECG
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In its March 18, 2024, letter, the Commission also requested ECG to provide the total number of planned outages conducted between January and March. In a letter dated Monday, April 15, PURC stated that its analysis of the submitted data revealed 4142 outages were conducted during that period.
It said "The Commission established from its analysis of data submitted by ECG that there were 4142 outages to consumers within ECG’s operational areas between January and March 2024. Out of this number, 165 representing 3.98% of the total outages were ECG-planned outages. Further analysis showed that of the 165 ECG planned outages, 40 were supported by public notices, while there were no notices for the remaining 125 outages.
"Further, 38 of the 40 notices did not comply with the requisite three-day statutory notice prescribed under Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413. This indicates that in 163 instances of planned outages, ECG did not comply with the law."
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The regulatory body stated it would levy 3,000 penalty units on ECG for each violation it incurred by failing to adhere to the timetable directive.
Additionally, it specified that the fine would be imposed on ECG's board members because of the ownership structure.
"For failure to comply with the 3-day statutory notice required under Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413, the Commission in accordance with Regulation 45 of L.I. 2413, hereby imposes a regulatory charge of 3,000 penalty units on ECG for each of the 163 breaches, amounting to Five Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,868,000.00).
"The Commission has determined that having regard to the nature of ECG’s ownership and business, the imposition of the penalty of Five Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢5,868,000.00) on ECG would be counter-productive, as payment from ECG’s revenue would have a rebounding adverse effect on quality of service and consumers who pay tariffs to the company," it added.
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