Akosombo residents march against VRA over high electricity bills

• Posted on May 17, 2017May 17, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Residents of seven communities in the Akosombo township have demonstrated against high tariffs in electricity bills. They suggest new metres introduced by the Volta River Authority (VRA) three years ago are the cause of the rise in bills.

The residents are demanding management of VRA to give them a flat rate and withdraw their metres or face their wrath. Hundreds of them clad in red thronged VRA’s Technical Services Department on Tuesday morning to express their frustration after an hour-long mass procession from their various communities. The communities include Akosombo Combine, Kokonor, Tortibo, Poponi, Atimpoku, Mangoase and Torska. Some residents told 3news.com “the bills are unbearable. I use just a bulb and a fridge but I am being asked to pay over GH¢200 a month.

I used to pay GH¢20.” They wielded placards one of which read ‘Economic hardship has affected our homes due to the exorbitant electricity tariffs’. The demonstrating residents marched from their various communities The Head of Corporate Communications, Gertrude Koomson, in reaction says will meet leadership of the communities after a week of wide consultation. She added some of the demands by the residents were beyond them but hoped a win-win situation will be arrived at finally. “We have held a meeting with the leadership of the about seven communities. They are asking for three things: a flat rate, withdrawal of new metres and free supply,” she narrated. “It is the PURC which determines tariff rates.

The old metres we had years ago were not reading and so residents weren’t paying much. Our technical department introduced the new metering system three years ago to ensure people paid the right rates.” She told 3news.com that officials from the Public Utiltiies Regulatory Commission (PURC) have been there already that they are waiting for a final visit to do checks on the calibrations of the metres in the communities as a cross check measure on the alleged astronomical bills.

By Yvonne Neequaye