PUBLIC UTILITIES REGULATORY COMMISSION OF GHANA CONSUMER EDUCATION A PRESENTATION BY CONSUMER SERVICES DIRECTORATE

KEY COORDINATOR Consumer Services Directorate with Support from the Public Relations Department.

MAIN TARGET GROUPS: CONSUMERS – Residential Customers, Consumer Associations, Trade Groups, Students, among others UTILITY SERVICE PROVIDERS- E.C.G, GWCL/AVRL, VRA/NED STAKEHOLDER INSTITUTIONS – such as Energy Commission, Energy Foundation, The Legislature, Association of Ghana Industries, NGOs GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS- such as the Ministries, Departments & Agencies (MDAs)

OBJECTIVES  THREE ‘Is’  INFORM – Issues such as current policies and programmes in sector, Commission programmes, Rights and Responsibilities  INVOLVE – Ensuring Consumer Support and Confidence in Development of Utility Sector  INTEREST – Protecting Interest of both Consumers and Utility Service Providers

 Public Fora and Seminars  Community Meetings  Training Workshops  Schools and Youth Programmes  Print and Electronic Media – Newspaper Articles and Notices, Radio & TV programmes, Adverts  ISSUES:-  Commission policies and programmes  Consumer Rights and Responsibilities  Sector Legislations and Regulations  Conservation

CURRENT FOCUS  Creation of consumer structures that will ensure a sustainable system for the recent Government Policies of Private Sector Participation and Cost Recovery Businesses.  Structures:  Students Education Programme – ‘Catch Them Young’  Consumer Services Committees  Customer Service Training Workshops for Utility Service Providers

“CATCH THEM YOUNG” Rational:  To create a new generation of well informed and supportive consumers to ensure sustainability of energy and water sector through the adoption of conservational attitudes and awareness of rights and responsibilities. Target group Senior High school students  Initiated till date  Achievements - Educated a total of 8,024 Senior High School students and 160 Teachers from 32 Senior High Schools nationwide.

CONSUMER SERVICES COMMITTEES  Established under legislative instrument L.I.1704A  Committees established on geographical basis throughout the country to promote the Commission’s policies and programmes and to facilitate effective communication between Consumers and key stakeholders within the Utility sector.  5 member Committee, at least one of whom should be a woman  First Committee to be inaugurated in Sekondi in November 2008.

CUSTOMER SERVICE TRAINING WORKSHOPS FOR UTILITY SERVICE PROVIDERS  PURC initiative to support Utility Service providers in ensuring effective and efficient Customer Service operations  Initiated in 2005 with a series of workshops for frontline staff of Utilities for Southern and Northern Zones of Ghana  2 nd phase to be held in October 2008 for District Customer Service Managers with emphasis on Customer Service Planning and Operations Benefits:  Tremendous improvement in Customer Service with ECG, GWCL and VRA establishing state of the art Customer Service call centres, regular updates of activities to consumers and enhancing facilities of their Customer Service Centres

 Adequate Funds  Government support & commitment  Stakeholders cooperation and collaboration  Consumers response to education

 Upgrading schools education programme into competition phase  Development of Consumer Protection Code  Upgrading our communication system e.g., interactive website, networking of all regional offices

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION