The Executive Secretary of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), Dr. Shafic Suleman, has paid a working visit to the Commission’s Central Regional Office as part of efforts to strengthen consumer protection and improve utility service delivery in the Region.
The visit, which took place between September 22-24, 2026, provided an opportunity for the Executive Secretary to engage staff, review the performance of the Regional Office and to gain a better understanding of the challenges confronting consumers and utility service providers across the Region. It also provided him with an opportunity to interact with the Service Providers at the Regional level and to learn at first hand, the challenges encountered by Service Providers at the Regional and District levels
Beyond reviewing reports and statistics, the visit offered the Executive Secretary an opportunity to appreciate the realities on the ground and the work being done by staff of the Commission and Service Providers to respond to adequately respond to concerns of the consumer.
Bringing Regulations closer to consumers:
During the visit, the Central Regional Office presented a report covering its activities and achievements from January to September 2026.
The presentation highlighted the Commission’s work in customer complaint management, consumer education and sensitisation, monitoring and regulatory activities, recoveries, stakeholder engagement, public relations and visibility, as well as other initiatives undertaken to improve utility service delivery.
The Executive Secretary commended the Regional Office and its staff for their efforts, particularly their consistent presence in communities and engagement with consumers and utility providers to identify and address service delivery challenges.
One of the notable interventions highlighted was the Commission’s engagement with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), which contributed to the replacement of 11 damaged and overloaded transformers in 11 communities within the Region.
The intervention has helped address persistent electricity supply challenges in the affected communities and improved the reliability of electricity services for consumers.
For the Commission, such interventions demonstrate the importance of listening to consumers, monitoring utility services and working with service providers to find practical solutions to problems affecting communities.
Addressing water supply challenges
Water supply challenges also featured prominently during the working visit.
Dr. Suleman engaged with key stakeholders, including Ghana Water Limited (GWL) and selected Assembly Members, on persistent water supply challenges affecting some communities.
As part of efforts to better understand the situation, the Executive Secretary visited the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant to gain first-hand insight into the operational challenges affecting the facility.
The visit focused on the disruption to water supply caused by damage to GWL pipelines during construction works for the 24-Hour Market at Ekon.
The damaged pipelines have resulted in a no-flow situation in affected communities, leaving residents and other consumers without the regular supply of water and creating significant inconvenience for households and businesses.
Dr. Suleman commended the Central Regional Office of the Commission for its intervention and continued engagement with the relevant stakeholders to address the situation.
He encouraged the team to sustain its engagement and to work towards a lasting and sustainable solution to the challenge.
Turning complaints into action
A key message from the Executive Secretary’s engagement was the need to ensure that consumer complaints and regulatory interventions are properly documented and their impact measured.
Dr. Suleman requested the Regional Office to maintain comprehensive records of complaints received, and the interventions undertaken to resolve them. He explained that reliable documentation would enable the Commission to demonstrate, with evidence, how its regulatory activities are making a difference in the lives of consumers’. He also directed the Office to strengthen the measurement of its public education/awareness and consumer sensitization programmes to determine their effectiveness and impact.
Making PURC more accessible
To further improve access to the Commission, Dr. Suleman tasked the Regional Office to facilitate the establishment of a toll-free telephone line through which consumers can contact PURC and lodge complaints without incurring call charges.
The initiative is intended to remove cost-related barriers that may prevent consumers from reporting problems with electricity and water services and to make the Commission’s consumer protection services more accessible.
Strengthening PURC's presence on the ground
The working visit reinforced the importance of regional offices as the Commission’s link to consumers and communities. Dr. Suleman commended the Central Regional Office for maintaining a strong presence on the ground and for identifying consumer and utility-related challenges before initiating engagements with service providers and other stakeholders to address them.
The visit provided an important platform for the Commission to review progress, listen to staff and stakeholders, identify areas requiring further attention and strengthen regulatory interventions within the Central Region.
