Some water-supplying services in rural communities in the Ashanti region are demanding the payment of arrears owed them by the government for providing free water to consumers under the COVID-19 relief package. 

In April 2020, President Akufo-Addo announced a utility package to absorb water and electricity bills for lifeline consumers for a year. 

However, some community water suppliers say they are yet to receive payment for the services provided.

At the just-ended second conference of the Network of Community Water Services (NETCOWAS), managers of community water suppliers at Kuntenase, Boanim and Ankaase said the government owed them at least GH₵140,000.

President of NETCOWAS, Nana Owusu-Sarpong

The three communities are part of several others across the country owed cumulatively over a million Ghana cedis. 

In spite of several letters and visits to local assemblies for payment of the arrears, the managers insist their calls have fallen on deaf ears.    

Emmanuel Oppong and Emmanuel Abban, speak for the Boanim and Ankaase Water Supply and Sanitation areas respectively. 

“The system did well to supply free water for one good year. We’ve done our best to go to the district assembly on how to get the money, but nothing has happened. The total amount for Ankaase was about GH₵300,000 but the government has made few payments,” Emmanuel Abban said.

Emmanuel Oppong revealed that: “We used about GH₵140,000 to produce water. Our sister station at Kuntenase is owed GH₵150,000”.

The outstanding balance, according to them, is hampering their operations with imminent threats to water supply in these areas.  

“Quite recently, our pump developed faults and someone assisted us with some amounts of money before we were able to repair it. The Electricity Company of Ghana is also demanding that we pay our bills. We are owing them about GH₵ 80,000 because of the free water. If government fails to pay those arrears, we are not going to sustain the system as we head towards the dry season,” Emmanuel Oppong, Board Chair of Boanim Water Supply unit, said.

The suppliers say they need the outstanding amount for extension works to provide water coverage to other households in the community.

Their concerns are among other challenges including ongoing road construction works, affecting members of the Network of Community Water Services (NETCOWAS) in the Ashanti region.