The Minister of State at the Ministry of Energy, Herbert Krapa, has called on the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to take strict action against inefficient staff whose conduct undermines the company’s efforts to deliver quality and timely services to customers.

"Heads must roll when we find that persistently some people are just making it difficult for us [ECG] to provide quality, affordable, and efficient service to our customers and the Ghanaian people,” the Minister emphasized.

He added that staff members who go the extra mile to deliver excellent service must also be rewarded to encourage others to follow suit.

Mr. Krapa made these remarks during a visit to the ECG Customer Service Office in Accra East, where he sought to address the growing frustrations of customers.

His visit was part of a broader initiative to help improve service delivery. Accompanying him were Deputy Minister Collins Adomako-Mensah, Chief Director Wilhelmina Asamoah, Director of Power Solomon Adjettey, and Director of PPBME Isaac Nsarko Biney.

During the briefing, it emerged that ECG management was baffled by the activities of so-called ‘goro boys’ who manage to access customer information through the ECG’s online meter application process and use it to deceive unsuspecting applicants.

As part of his visit, Mr. Krapa and his deputy randomly tested the ECG complaint center by placing a call, which was handled professionally.

The Minister praised the operator’s response, remarking that "the gentleman deserves a pay rise," and reiterated the need for recognizing and rewarding good performance while sanctioning inefficiency.

Mr. Krapa, who previously served as Deputy Minister of Energy and Board Chairman of ECG, noted that the public's trust in the service provider was "fast dissipating." He stressed that ECG must address customer complaints more promptly, stating, “customers cannot accept ECG taking forever or too long in resolving their complaints and challenges.”

To regain the trust of the Ghanaian people, the Minister advised ECG to focus on efficiency and timely resolution of issues. He also encouraged the company to better utilize both traditional and modern media, including town hall meetings and the Information Services Department, to engage with customers who may not be active on social media. This, he noted, would help curb the reliance on goro boys for services.

On the persistent issue of meters, which he referred to as “the elephant in the room,” Mr. Krapa acknowledged the frustration of customers who are willing to pay for meters that are supposed to be free. He urged ECG to expedite efforts to clear the backlog of over one million meters due to new connections, faulty meters, and aging equipment.

The Minister also called for the simplification of the meter acquisition process to eliminate duplication and make the process more accessible to customers, ensuring a smoother and more efficient service experience.