The Northern Electricity Distribution Company has cut power supply to the Bolgatanga Technical University in Sumbrungu.
The action forms part of a aggressive revenue mobilisation exercise to retrieve over GH¢ 125 million owed the company by it’s customers.
Upper East Regional Billing and Revenue Officer William Kwame Asare said the decision to disconnect the tertiary institution was taken following inability of the University to settle a debt of GH¢ 1.8 million owed NEDCO.
“We engaged the school authorities; the Registrar and his team and the Pro-Vice Chancellor was there and as at February the indebtedness was one million, eighty three thousand, two hundred and fifteen Ghana cedis. It appeared that as at this morning, they had gone to pay fifty thousand out of the over one million which is woefully inadequate. So they are left with one million, thirty three thousand. We engaged them so that they can make some substantial payments. Unfortunately they are unable to meet us so we have no other choice than to disconnect power supply to the University,” Asare said.
He added that the University must pay at least 75% of the outstanding debt before they are reconnected.
The power distributor has disclosed that it is owed GH¢125 million by consumers in its operation areas in the upper east region and the north east region.
The revenue mobilization and disconnection exercise has necessitated the partial shutdown of the NEDCO Office in Bolgatanga for all staff to join the revenue mobilisation drive.
Upper East area manager of NEDCO Ing. Eugene Odoi Addo disclosed that government agencies in the region owe some GH¢55 million out of the total amount.
