The management of VRA/NEDCo in the Upper East Region has threatened to cut power to the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Health Service if they fail to settle their indebtedness of GH¢34 million to the company.

The company says the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Health Service owe the company GH¢18 million and GH¢16 million respectively.

VRA/NEDCo billing officer, Williams Asare, speaking to the media during an exercise revealed the indebtedness of the two institutions has affected their operations.

He warned they would not hesitate to disconnect their facilities if urgent measures are not taken to settle their indebtedness.

“The health institutions in the Upper East put together are owing us (VRA/NEDCo) GH¢16 million, and we have engaged the regional health directorate and given them their entire bill. But we have seen documentation from the Director-General of the Ghana health service that, for those facilities that internally generate funds, we should have an arrangement for them to pay. As for the legacy debts before 2021, they will take up with the Ministry of Finance to pay”.

“Some clinics and health facilities have come for us to have some payment agreements where they’re going to pay a substantial amount to reduce the debt and commit to paying the current bills, and we’ll be following up on that. Our L.I. allows that, when we serve the bill, after 14 days, if the customer doesn’t pay, you are due to disconnect, so we’re going to ensure that we don’t come there”.

“The police administration in the region are owing us GH¢18 million, we engaged the regional police commander, and he has taken up the bill and is putting a covering memo to the police administration at the head office for them to pay. For certain category of officers, they’re supposed to pay their own bills so for those facilities we’re in the process of metering them with pre-paid meters so that they pay”.

He added that over GH¢5 million out of GH¢120 million have been retrieved from customer indebtedness to the company in the ongoing revenue mobilization and disconnection exercise.