The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has called on its customers to promptly pay their water bills to enhance the smooth operations of the company.

Mr Theophilus Tawiah Collins, the Ashanti North Regional Chief Manager of the GWCL who made the call, said the non-payment of the water bills was impeding the operations of the company in the region.

Speaking at a customer service week celebration at Kronum, in the Sumae Municipality, he said payments of water bills remained discouraging despite intensified public education.

Customers in the Ashanti North Region, owe the company in excess of GH¢40 million, Mr Tawiah disclosed.

He explained that besides the several collection points, customers could also pay their bills through the use of mobile money apps.

The theme for this year’s celebration was, “Customer service and its critical importance to our mission.”

The Customer Service Week is an international celebration, which takes place in October every year to appreciate the importance of customer service, the people who serve and support customers daily to improve upon the mutual relationship that has existed between the organization and their customers.

The celebration of customer service week started in 1987 in the United States of America and since then, the whole world has embraced it, making it an annual international event.

Mr. Tawiah explained that providing potable water for the citizenry was becoming expensive due to the current economic challenges, adding that, the company spent huge sums of money in importing chemicals, equipment, and spares, as well as paying huge electricity bills to enable it to provide potable water.

“The only source of income to maintain our infrastructure and equipment is the water bills that we pay.

The GWCL does not receive any money from the government to support our operations.

This is why we encourage you our customers to pay your bills promptly to enable the company to provide potable water to the citizenry,” he noted.

To retrieve the excess 40 million cedis arrears, the Regional Chief Manager, noted that the Company had begun massive disconnections exercise throughout the entire region till the end of 2024.

Mr. Tawiah hinted that the company was facing out the paper bills, saying that “the process will continue and by December no customer will receive a paper bill,” he said.

Ten customers in the area were given awards for their prompt payment of their bills.

Mr. Samuel Kyei Boateng, Customer Care Assistant (Meter reader), Nketiah District in the Ashanti North Region was awarded for his exceptional performance in operations as the Best Staff in the district.