It’s not for ECG to choose whether or not to comply with PURC directive – Kwabena Donkor

Former Power Minister and Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East constituency, Dr Kwabena Donkor says that it is not within the prerogative of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to decide whether or not to comply with an order issued by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 30, Dr Donkor stated that the primary role of the PURC is to safeguard the interests of consumers and producers throughout the energy value chain.

He emphasised that the PURC holds authority over all aspects of power supply, and therefore, any legally sanctioned directive issued by it must be complied with by the concerned entity.

PURC explained that the order, which was issued under Sections 3 and 24 of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission Act, 1997 (Act 538), was a result of some major observations it had made concerning a general decline in the quality-of-service delivery, including increasing power outages across ECG service areas from January 1, 2024, to date.

Therefore, he stressed that ECG should refrain from making statements on matters outside its purview.

Commenting on the recipient of the PURC’s directive, the Pru East MP emphasised that the order should be directed to the ECG.

This, he emphasised that ECG should not bear the blame if they encounter shortages in the power supply available for distribution.