By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
The Ashanti North Regional Directorate of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has created the Low-Income Communities Support Department to identify and support communities with low incomes within its operational area, particularly domestic activities.
Additionally, with the support of its donor partners, the company has completed a project known as Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Water Project which saw the construction of 100 kilometres of new pipelines and connecting about six thousand homes to pipe-borne water.
The Ashanti North Regional Chief Manager of Ghana Water Limited, Theophilus Tawiah Collins, made these known at Afrancho in the Suame Municipality during a durbar with its customers.
The occasion was what Ghana Water Limited has termed as ‘Accounting to our Customers’ held annually to appreciate the importance of water consumers and other key stakeholders.
The durbar, attended by traditional leaders, domestic and commercial water consumers, staff of the company as well as some individuals known as ‘Water Ambassadors’ providing voluntary service in playing the role of intermediaries between consumers and GWL managers with concerns and feedback, was used by the management to recognize and appreciate some stakeholders including water consumers for their prompt payment of water bills.
Management of the Ashanti North region of the Ghana Water Company Limited used also the occasion to announce the digital water bill payment short code of *1010# that allows water consumers to pay their monthly bills without traveling to the company’s offices.
The Regional Chief Manager, Theophilus Tawiah Collins, announced that Ghana Water Company Limited is taking concrete steps to expand access to potable water within the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area including low-income communities by creating a new department and laying pipelines while connecting about six thousand new consumers at highly subsidized rates.
“One of the major concerns we keep receiving from our customers is the irregular flow of water. In solving this challenge, Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Water Project to improve upon the to improve upon the Kumasi infrastructure and provide subsidized water connection to the people of GKMA has been completed. The total water improvement works, made up of about 100 Km pipes and connecting about 6, 000 customers to our lines, has been completed. The connection fees were highly subsidized and we want to thank our donor partners”, he emphasized.
The Ashanti North Regional Chief Manager said the only source of income for the company’s operations is the monthly bills for water consumption but expressed regret that, non-payment of the bills has accumulated to more than 40 million Ghana Cedis for which a mass disconnection exercise has begun till the end of the year.
He noted, “The only source of income to maintain our infrastructure and equipment is the water bills that we all pay. GWCL does not receive any money from the government to support our operations. That is why we encourage you to pay your bills promptly to encourage us to provide you the service.”
Mr. Tawiah announced that billing and bill payment for water consumed will go fully digital by the end of this year and urged water consumers not to expect the paper bills from that time but they must pay their bills promptly to enable Ghana Water Limited to sustain and also improve upon its service.
