Regional Manager Mr. Patrick Antwi, PURC Sunyani Regional Office
The regional office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission in Sunyani has shown its dedication to serve the public amidst the Covid 19 pandemic without constraints. The PURC was set up as a multi-sectorial regulator by the Government of Ghana In October, 1997 under the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act (Act 538) as part of the utility sector reform process to regulate the provision of utility services in the electricity and water sectors.
With the occurrence of the Corona virusin Ghana, the Sunyani Regional office has not slowed down its activities in protecting stakeholder interests. The Sunyani regional office has adopted the use of the media extensively to address the concerns of consumers and public utilities.
The PURC Sunyani Regional Office oversees all the three regions in the Brong Ahafo Region which is Bono Region, Bono East and the Ahafo Region.
The commission in wanting to remain active and carry out its duties has found it necessary to be innovative and therefore created several WhatsApp platforms that is used for sharing and receiving of information and also receiving of complaints from consumers which brings to life one of the functions of the commission which is to receive and settle complaints among consumers and public utilities.
These WhatsApp platforms are active and have been used strategically to reach out to consumers in the comfort of their homes. Radio programs have also been organized in all thethreeregionsin the Brong Ahafofor effective education and dissemination of information while observing all social distancing protocols to avoid the contacting or spread of the Covid 19 virus.
The Sunyani Regional office which was set up in December 2018 has been formidable in the executing of their duties. One of the campaigns carried out by the regional office in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic is extensively educating consumers about the governments Covid 19 electricity and water relief programme and further monitoring how the relief is being implemented by the utilities in the Brong Ahafo Region which areNEDCo/VRA and Ghana Water.
The regional manager of the PURC Sunyani Regional office, Mr. Patrick Antwi in a discussion stated that “The Sunyani Regional Office with its able staff is still committed to carrying out its mandate as regulators even in these difficult times to make sure issues brought before it by both consumers and the utilities are resolved. The Sunyani office is currently closely monitoring the various utilities to make sure the implementation of the relief package which was announced by the president is being carried out smoothly. From the onset of the implementation it came to our attention the various technical challenges faced by the Utilities, this was expected taking into consideration the novelty of the programme.However, we advise all consumers who are having challenges accessing the relief to send their various complaints to the NEDCo or GWCL office, if you are still not having your concerns addressed immediately bring it to the attention of the Commissions office in the region”.
All consumers of electricity and water in the Brong Ahafo region are hereby informed that the Commission is still active in its operations and consumers can contact or visit the regional office at 2nd gate magazine in the NLA Building behind the Apex Bank in the emergence of any issue or enquiries in relation to electricity and water. The commission can also be contacted through
Mobile/WhatsApp 0540126207.
Land line: 0352021651/0352021653
Email :purcsyi@purc.com.gh
Julia Antwi, PRO – Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Sunyani.
