Coronavirus: You’ll enjoy gov’t’s free water even if you owe GWCL – Minister

The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has explained persons who have defaulted in paying their water bills would still enjoy three-month free water supply announced by the President.

It was the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Dr. Clifford Braimah who declared that defaulters are exempt for the relief package.

You won’t enjoy free water if you owe us – GWCL clarifies Akufo-Addo freebies

“The people who are owing us, we expect that they pay before they get free water. Somebody said those of them who have been disconnected, we have to connect them so that they will benefit from the three months [free water service].

“I said the President is not telling me to give free water to those who are not connected because the president is not paying for January or February. And so those owing will have to pay,” he said in an interview on Citi FM.

But addressing the media Tuesday in Accra, Madam Abena Dapaah said the GWCL had been instructed to withhold all outstanding arrears of customers until after the three months period was over.

“Arrears will be kept as arrears but those who owe will enjoy water for April, May and June. So there shouldn’t be any alarm. The arrears are on hold.

“Tanker drivers, I had a meeting with them yesterday, they are on board with us. Government will absorb all their expenses and make sure they work to supply the water,” she said.

President Akufo-Addo in his fifth televised broadcast on measures taken by government to stem the spread of COVID-19, announced a three-month relief package for all Ghanaian households.

He said government had absorbed the cost of water bills of all households for the next three months.

The initiative is part of government’s efforts aimed at reducing the financial burden of its citizens during the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has seen a lull in economic activities.