The Electricity Company (ECG) has warned that a directive by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to suspend the implementation of their new billing software will plunge the nation into total darkness in the coming weeks.

According to the Chairman of the Accra East Senior Staff Union of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Jonathan Asante, the directive by the PURC is affecting the company’s revenue and debt collection.

He revealed that ECG is battling to get their weekly revenue of 25 million cedis which is affecting them to pay back the power producers to supply ECG with power.

Jonathan Asante was speaking Wednesday on Adom FM’s current affairs “Burning Issues” programme hosted by Listowell Kwadwo Fordjour on matters arising on ECG billing system and privatization issues.

“Ghanaian’s should expect total darkness if ECG suspends its current billing software as instructed by the PURC” he said.

The PURC last month instructed the ECG to suspend the implementation of its new billing software following complaints from consumers about extreme increases in their bills for the same consumption.

Already workers of ECG have given the PURC a seven-day ultimatum to retract its directive to the ECG to suspend the use of the new billing software. 

ECG workers have threatened to withdraw their services if the PURC did not heed their call, as they face harassment and intimidation from the public since the announcement of the directive on May 24, 2016.

Due to the overbilling issues, the sector ministry together with their key players met to address those challenges.

After series of meeting, the Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor said government and its major stakeholders have identified challenges facing the billing system and they are doing their best to rectify the problems.

He also assured the general public that by the end of June challenges and errors in the ECG billing systems will be over.