The Electricity Company of Ghana,ECG, has resumed reading of power consumption on meters of customers in the Krobo area.

A combined team of ECG personnel from the Tema Regional Office and the Krobo District on Tuesday began the exercise under police protection.

ECG has not been able to access its meters to generate bills for its customers in the Krobo area for many months due to a long-standing impasse and fear of being attacked.

A combined team of ECG personnel led by the Krobo district manager of the Company, Ing Edward Ochire conducted the exercise in various communities of the Kpong suburbs of Lorlornyo, Kpong station, Kpong Zongo, Star Villa among others.

Aside the reading of the meters, the personnel were also undertaking a pre-installation survey ahead of the pre-paid metering system as well as checking of illegal connections.

The exercise scheduled to run over the next few months is intended to assist the Company to generate the monthly bills for its customers in the area.

Also involved in the exercise were officials of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) and Police personnel drawn from the Akuse police command who provided security for the ECG staff.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Tema Region of the ECG, Ms Sakyiwaa Mensah urged residents to corporate for their bills to be generated to them.

Meanwhile, two major youth groups in Krobo area have made fresh demands to the Electricity Company of Ghana, ECG, 24 hours after the power distributor restored power to the Yilo and Lower Manya Krobo Municipalities after 7 days of power cut over an impasse.

A joint statement issued Tuesday, December 14, 2021 by the groups -Kloma Hengme (KH) and Kloma Gbi (KG) stated that, while they partly welcome ECG’s proposal to ring-fence accumulated bills of customers in the area from 2014 to 2017, it also counterproposes to ECG that the disputed accumulated bills be ‘absorbed’ as bad debt or be ring-fenced up to July 2021 “to clean the slate for a fresh start”.

This, the groups believe would help to make headway on the impasse.

The two groups also described as wrong timing for the introduction of prepaid meters in the two Municipalities.

“Many have expressed concerns about the wrong timing of the introduction of prepaid meters – and the apprehension that the meters will be used to recoup the outstanding disputed ‘debt’.

Kloma Hengme and Kloma Gbi groups also want the Police to investigate the killing and maiming of their compatriots in the 2019 protest against overbilling by ECG.

Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com/Kojo Ansah