The default by consumers in paying bills of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is one of the factors responsible for the major challenges facing the country’s power generation company.
We were made to understand that the monies owed to NAWEC, especially by government departments and parastatals and area councils are huge.
These defaulters owe the national utility company millions of dalasis for many years, and if the company were to collapse they would be a big factor responsible for the unfortunate development.
While individuals and small and medium-scale businesses could be defaulters as well, the bulk of NAWEC debt is owed by the big business entities, government departments and local government councils.
Constant supply of power and water require a lot of resources, and if the major consumers are not meeting their obligations they should be forced to do so, the way the small consumer is made to pay when bills are not paid.
We recommend that NAWEC considers a way to make departments and offices owing them huge sums of money come forward and settle their bills, and to also let them start using the Cash power metres.
With these and other applicable measures, NAWEC could improve its services and ensure customer satisfaction.
It is a fact that constant availability of power is a catalyst for economic growth and development.
We believe that if people are being urged to pay their bills regularly, public agencies and private institutions should not also be found wanting.
Another problem facing the high consumption of electricity and water in many offices and departments is the attitude of workers.
People tend to misuse and care less about official properties and assets, thinking that they belong to the Government.
These are misconceptions, since we are the government, and afterall the revenue government uses to pay these bills come from us the taxpayers.
If we want to ensure that we have reliable power supply and water, we must use them wisely and pay our bills on time.
