The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has served notice to publish a list of its defaulters by the close of May 2024 after the company observed a huge accumulation of arrears owed by its customers.
The utility company says the over GHS 1.2 billion pile of debt is straining its operations as it is unable to conduct regular maintenance exercises, undertake expansion projects and provide uninterrupted water services.
In a statement, the water company indicated it has noticed a trend of debt accumulation despite several efforts to have customers pay up their outstanding bills.
“Over the past years, GWL has observed a concerning trend of accumulating arrears from some customers, posing significant financial strain on the company’s operations.
“Despite various efforts to address this issue through revenue mobilization exercises, ‘operation pay or get disconnected’ campaign, announcements, advertisements, payment reminders and flexible payment plans, the problem still persists,” portions of the statement read.
Management of the company has resolved to publish the names of defaulting individuals, companies and organizations and their amounts owed if they fail to fulfill their financial obligations.
The GWL says it will not relent in taking legal actions against the debtors to retrieve all the arrears.
Chief Manager for Public Relations and Communication, Stanley Martey revealed the indebtedness could plunge the country to water supply shortfalls.
“If our debt levels still goes up the way it is as at now, it will really affect the operations and possibly affect the way we supply water,” he told Luv News.
The company is admonishing customers to collaborate with the company to find amicable solutions.
“The company aims to collaborate with customers to find feasible solutions, including implementing flexible payment arrangements for those with substantial debts and obvious challenges. By this release, Customers are being notified that the company will use all legal means possible to retrieve all arrears,” the statement read.
But in the interim, customers have been urged to settle their debts at the offices and revenue collection points of the company, the GWCL customer app, and mobile money payment platforms.
The company, however, says it is committed to providing reliable water as mandated by law to ensure access to clean water, but can only do so if the debts are paid off.
Source: Adomonline
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