Ghana’s electricity distributor, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), is aggressively pursuing debt recovery from customers nationwide.
One of their strategies is to disconnect the debtors from the national grid. Power is only restored after the debtors make part or full payment.
These debtors include individuals, companies, hospitals, and even government or state establishments are not spared.
The recent major debtor to fall into the electricity distributor’s web is the Parliament of Ghana.
This disconnection is worrying, as Parliament plays a vital role in governing the country.
But this is not the first time the ECG has come for a state establishment due to accumulated debt or unpaid bills.
The Ghana Report takes a look at some other instances when ECG disconnected state organizations from the national grid over unpaid bills.
- ECG disconnects power to Accra Sports Stadium
On Monday, February 19, 2024, ECG disconnected the power supply to the Accra Sports Stadium over a GH¢400,000 debt.
The disconnection was done in the evening as workers hurried to put the facility in shape to host the Paris 2024 Olympic football qualifier match between Zambia’s women’s national team and Ghana’s Black Queens.
It was not the first time ECG had cut power to the stadium over its debt.
In March 2022, the National Task Force of ECG disconnected power supply to the stadium over a debt of GH¢508,000.00.
- ECG disconnects power to Kotoka International Airport
The power supplier disconnected the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), from the national grid for failing to pay accumulated bills in November 2022.
The disconnection exercise was undertaken by a national task force of the ECG after several debt recovery attempts failed.
The Ghana Airport Company Limited immediately issued a GH¢10 million cheque to settle part of the GH¢39 million debt.
- ECG disconnects power to Ho Airport
ECG disconnected the Ho Airport in the Volta Region on Monday, March 20, 2023, for owing the power distribution company GH¢63,000.
The airport later made a payment of GH¢100,000, which was more than what they owed the company.
Subsequently, ECG restored power to the facility.
- ECG cuts electricity supply to the Ghana Revenue Authority Office in Ho
On the same day, the company also cut power to the GRA office in the Volta regional capital over GH¢55,000 of unpaid bills.
The disconnection was conducted on the first day of the company’s nationwide revenue mobilization exercise in the eleven operational districts of ECG in the Volta and Oti Regions.
Power was later restored when the institution settled all arrears.
- ECG disconnects the power supply to the Ministry Of Energy
In March 2023, the Electricity Company of Ghana cut power supply to its mother ministry, the Ministry of Energy over debt owed to the company.
The disconnection plunged the entire Ministry into darkness for almost half a day.
According to sources, power was, however, restored to the Ministry after it paid its debt bill in full.
The Communications Specialist at the Ministry, Kofi Abrefa Afena, later denied the disconnection insisting that their offices run on prepaid meters.