ECG gives power retail to PDS as ‘interim ‘arrangement’

• Posted on August 9, 2019August 9, 2019
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Power Distribution Services (PDS) will still provide all activities related to electricity retail as an interim arrangement, a statement has revealed.

The joint statement by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and PDS said the interim arrangement is “to ensure that there is no disruption of power supply and service delivery” to customers.

Government last week announced the suspension of the concession agreement with PDS and brought back ECG to be in full control of power distribution.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who broke the news, said the decision was taken after government detected “fundamental and material breaches of PDS’s obligation in the provision of Payment Securities (Demand Guarantees) for the transaction which have been discovered upon further due diligence.

The Energy Commission, the regulator, subsequently suspended the retail licence for PDS.

Meanwhile, PDS insists it has done nothing wrong and has said government acted in haste.

Read the joint statement by ECG and PDS below.

JOINT PRESS RELEASE BY ECG AND PDS

Following the issuance of Public Notice No. 030819 by the Energy Commission appointing Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd as Interim Operator to take charge of management and operation of electricity sales and the retention by Power Distribution Services Ghana Ltd of the Electricity Distribution License in the Southern Electricity Zone of Ghana, ECG and PDS have agreed on interim operational modalities.

This is to ensure that there is no disruption of power supply and service delivery to our cherished customers.

As an interim arrangement, the public is hereby notified that PDS will provide the following services on behalf of ECG:

• All activities related to electricity retail sale including but not limited to:

o Meter reading

o Billing

o Distribution of bills

o Bill reconciliation

o Revenue collection

o New service connections

o Disconnections and reconnections

o Faulty meter replacements

o Network faults and repairs

o Complaints and fault reporting to the call centres

o Any other related service

In light of the above, all payments and other related activities shall continue to take place at:

o PDS Regional and District offices

o PDS existing Customer Service Centres

o PDS licensed vending stations

o PDS operated Cash Points

o Banks

All cheques shall be issued in the name of “Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited”.

This interim arrangement shall be in force from 8th of August, 2019 until the reversal or otherwise by the Energy Commission.

ECG and PDS assure the general public that we will continue to provide quality electricity services to our cherished customers.

All enquiries should be directed to PDS Call Centre No. 0302-611611 and all existing social media handles.

ISSUED JOINTLY BY MANAGEMENT OF ECG AND PDS