The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has assured consumers in the Northern Region that it is working to ensure that they receive appropriate quality of service and tariffs that are necessary to sustain the utility system.  

Dr Shafic Suleman, the Executive Secretary, PURC, who gave the assurance, said: “Our core mandate is to protect the interests of the Ghanaian consumer, and we are doing just that.”  

Dr Suleman gave the assurance in an interview with journalists in Tamale after leading a delegation from the PURC to visit the utility service providers in the region.  

The visit formed part of the PURC’s efforts to assess the operations of the utility service providers and ascertain how investments made following the latest tariff review were addressing the concerns of consumers.  

The visit took the delegation to Nawuni and Dalun in the Kumbungu District to assess the state of infrastructure of the Ghana Water Limited and its operations as well as held a meeting with Management of Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited in Tamale on its operations.  

Dr Suleman assured consumers that protecting their interests remained a core mandate of the PURC while also ensuring that the interests of investors in the utility sector were protected.  

He said following the approval of a nine per cent tariff adjustment at the beginning of this year, the utility service providers were expected to undertake investments to improve service delivery to consumers.  

He said in view of that the PURC was closely monitoring the utility service providers to ensure that tariff-supported investments translated into improved quality and reliability of services to consumers.  

He emphasised that “We are monitoring some of the investments to see whether or not the utilities are taking those investments to the benefit of the Ghanaian consumer.”  

Dr Suleman said reliable water supply was one of the major challenges facing consumers, especially during the dry season in the region adding while water production had increased in the region, other projects would soon come onboard to improve the situation.