Ishmael Edjekumhene, a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), has refuted assertions made by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) regarding overloaded transformers. His remarks follow a substantial fine levied on former ECG board members by the PURC for failing to inform consumers about power interruptions, as mandated by Regulation 39 of L.I. 2413.

During an appearance on the Citi Breakfast Show, Edjekumhene, who also serves as the Executive Director of the Kumasi Institute of Technology and Environment (KITE), expressed scepticism regarding the Managing Director of ECG's recent announcement that 630 transformers were overloaded, resulting in intermittent power outages.

Highlighting that this information was not previously disclosed to the PURC despite routine monitoring, Edjekumhene stated, “So, we were just following up on information that ECG itself has put into the public domain which the regulator wasn't aware.” He further noted that upon inquiry, ECG provided comprehensive data on the situation.

However, Edjekumhene revealed that investigations conducted by the PURC revealed that the majority of the transformers in question were not overloaded. He cited a lack of compliance with directives from the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO) as a contributing factor to the reported power issues.

The Commissioner's remarks underscore a discrepancy between ECG's claims and regulatory findings, raising questions about the transparency and accuracy of information provided by utility companies to regulatory bodies.