The Upper West Regional Manager of the Public Utility Regulatory Commission (PURC), Cassiel Eghan Asiedu, has announced that the Commission received 781 complaints from utility consumers, of which 771 were successfully resolved.

The majority of the complaints centered on service quality, with power outages being the primary concern for the Electricity Company, while complaints against the Ghana Water Company included reduced water flow and burst pipelines.

Mr Asiedu revealed these details during the end-of-year gathering of the PURC in Wa, bringing together representatives from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Ghana Water Company Ltd, PURC staff, and stakeholders, including members of the Consumer Service Committee in Tumu, Sissala East Municipality.

He described 2023 as a "Year of Operational Efficiency" for the PURC, marked by engagement with various stakeholders on the Commission's operations. Asiedu credited the year's successes to the collaborative efforts and support received from stakeholders, including utility service providers and consumers.

Looking ahead to 2024, Asiedu outlined the Commission's strategic positioning, terming it a "Year of Strategic Impact" with a focus on four key areas known as "STEP" – Self-improvement, Transparency, Enforcement, and Proactiveness.

These areas will emphasize staff capacity building, stakeholder engagement, law enforcement, and proactive service delivery through technology-enabled complaint mechanisms.

Daniel Awortwe, the Upper West Regional Area Engineer of NEDCo, commended the PURC as a significant stakeholder and expressed optimism about continued collaboration.

He highlighted NEDCo's commitment to leveraging technology to enhance operations, ensuring reliable and high-quality power supply to consumers.

The Upper West Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company Ltd, Kwasi Abebrese, assured consumers of quality service while acknowledging the workload on staff. He appealed for understanding from consumers as his outfit works to address complaints and challenges.