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In a significant push to bring regulatory services closer to the people and close the gap between regulators and consumers, the Bono Regional Office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has taken its services directly to the people through a mobile complaints clinic, offering on-the-spot solutions to persistent electricity concerns.
The initiative, undertaken in partnership with the Sunyani Area Office of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO) held in Sunyani, marks a shift from conventional, office-centered operations to a more inclusive, people-focused approach to utility regulation.
Speaking to Asaase News during the outreach, the Bono Regional Public Relations Officer of PURC, Julia Antwi, said the move is rooted in the Commission’s mandate to protect consumers and ensure efficient service delivery.
“From the office to the masses, we’ve set up a complaint desk because, as a utility regulator, we deal with numerous issues relating to electricity and water, and not everybody can come to the office to lodge their concerns,” she stated.
“In collaboration with the NEDCO, we have brought officers into the community. Desks have been set up, and we are encouraging the public to come forward with their concerns so they can be attended to promptly.”
Madam Antwi noted that the outreach reflects PURC’s deep concern for consumers and its commitment to delivering quality utility services.
“We are very much concerned about the interest of consumers. This is our effort to ensure they receive the best of services and also to assure them that PURC cares. By getting closer to the people, we can better understand their challenges and work towards resolving them effectively,” she added.
Ms Julia Antwi reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding consumer interests and ensuring equitable access to efficient electricity and water services.
The complaints clinic provided a platform for residents to report a broad range of electricity-related issues, including faulty metering, billing discrepancies, high consumption concerns, low voltage, and frequent power outages.
Officials from both PURC and NEDCO engaged the public in an open, accessible, and solution-oriented manner, fostering trust and encouraging active participation.
Customer Service Officer for the Sunyani Area of NEDCO, Zakaria Amiratu, disclosed that billing concerns and high consumption complaints dominated the cases received during the exercise.
“The Complaints Clinic is intended to resolve all incoming issues relating to electricity. So far, most of the complaints we’ve received are about high consumption and challenges with shared billing,” she explained.
She indicated that the exercise has also driven increased demand for prepaid (CPB) meters, as consumers seek better control over their electricity usage.
“Many customers are applying for prepaid meters. We are assisting them with the application process and ensuring that these requests are prioritised. Billing issues that can be resolved on-site are being addressed immediately,” she said.
For more complex services such as new electricity connections, she noted that the process begins at the community clinic and is completed at the office.
“We initiate the process here, after which it is continued at the office. Customers will be issued quotation letters, and once payment is made, we proceed with the connections,” she added.
Mrs Amiratu emphasised that the outreach is a deliberate strategy to improve efficiency and reduce delays in service delivery.
“By moving into the communities, we are saving customers the time and effort of travelling to our offices. This also helps us speed up processes and reduce delays in service provision,” she said.
Residents who benefited from the initiative expressed satisfaction with the prompt response to their concerns, describing the exercise as timely and impactful. Many called for the programme to be extended to other districts and communities to ensure wider access to such critical services.
The complaints clinic underscores PURC’s broader agenda to decentralise its operations, strengthen consumer confidence, and ensure that regulatory interventions translate into tangible improvements in the daily lives of citizens.
Report by Daniel Donkor Bono Region
