By Ayomide Otitoju
Ghana’s state-owned power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), has disconnected electricity supply to several public institutions over mounting unpaid bills, with the Ghana Water Limited’s Weija treatment plant and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) among the first to be affected.
The ECG on Tuesday cut off power to the Weija plant in Accra, citing an outstanding debt of $97 million. The utility also moved against GBC, which owes $305,000, after the national broadcaster reportedly failed to comply with a structured repayment plan.
“This is not a step we take lightly, but we have given them enough notice. These are long-standing arrears,” ECG’s acting general manager of operations, Ishmael Tetteh Oku, told AFP.
He noted that ECG could no longer afford to keep supplying power without payment while grappling with its own financial constraints. The company has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Weija plant to settle its debts or face an extended power cut, threatening the plant’s operations, which supply 80% of Accra and its environs.
Past disruptions at Weija—whether due to maintenance or technical faults—have led to widespread water shortages affecting over 30 communities in western Accra. Informal businesses such as restaurants and car wash operators have already begun bracing for revenue losses.
The ECG’s aggressive revenue collection drive is part of efforts to plug financial leakages, even as concerns mount over the impact of power cuts on essential public services.
