Dr John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister of Energy and Green Transition, says the new head office of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) symbolises stronger utility regulation and consumer protection.

‎He said the facility should enable the PURC to deepen regulatory oversight, improve consumer services and ensure that utility companies remain financially viable to provide reliable services.

‎Dr Jinapor said this when he commissioned the new PURC head office complex in Accra, describing it as a “fitting home” for an institution of national importance.

‎He said the PURC had evolved over more than two and a half decades from an institution largely associated with tariff reviews into a regulator with broader responsibilities for the electricity, water and natural gas sectors.

‎The Minister said the Commission’s mandate extended beyond consumer protection to ensure utility companies operated sustainably and met their financial and operational obligations.

‎He urged the PURC to strengthen enforcement, intensify scrutiny of the commercial performance of utilities and ensure that consumers felt the presence of the regulator through improved service delivery and faster resolution of complaints.

‎“Sometimes, once you strengthen enforcement, you step on toes, but you have to step on toes sometimes to ensure that you achieve your objective,” he said.

‎Dr Jinapor particularly urged the Commission to pay close attention to the commercial performance of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), describing it as a critical link in the financial sustainability of the energy sector.

‎He also encouraged the PURC to broaden stakeholder engagement and support industrial competitiveness, particularly in relation to the Government’s 24-hour economy agenda.

‎Dr Shafic Suleman, Executive Secretary of the PURC, said the new head office represented a significant investment in the future of utility regulation in Ghana and reflected the Commission’s institutional growth.

‎He said the facility had been designed with modern systems and facilities to respond to the increasing complexities of utility regulation.

‎The complex includes modern conference spaces for stakeholder engagement, state-of-the-art training facilities, electricity and water meter laboratories for quality assurance, a real-time monitoring room and contemporary offices to improve operational efficiency.

‎Dr Suleman expressed appreciation to successive boards, management and staff, the Government and other stakeholders for their contributions towards completing the project.

‎He said the building was fully paid for through improved cash flows within the utility sector, attributing the development partly to reforms that had strengthened the Cash Waterfall Mechanism.

‎Mr Moses Asaga, PURC Board Chairman, described the new facility as a testament to the growth and enduring mandate of the Commission to protect consumers while ensuring that utilities remained financially viable.

‎He recalled that when the PURC was established in 1997, it operated from a colonial-era building with about 12 management and staff.

‎Mr Asaga said the new facility represented a remarkable transformation of the Commission and challenged management and staff to steward it with diligence while delivering higher standards of service to the people of Ghana.

‎He reaffirmed the Board’s commitment to working with the Presidency and the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition to strengthen regulation and advance a well-functioning utility sector.

‎The new head office is expected to provide an improved working environment for staff and strengthen the PURC’s capacity to regulate Ghana’s electricity, water and natural gas utilities.