The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission’s Upper East Regional Office has resolved 3,401 out of 3,514 consumer complaints lodged between 2022 and the first quarter of 2026, a resolution rate of nearly 97 percent, according to data presented at a media engagement in the region.
Pious Abdulai Ikililu, the Commission’s Upper East Regional Public Relations Officer, told journalists that the figures reflect sustained regulatory action rather than a passive bureaucratic posture often associated with the Commission.
“A lot of people only think, they only hear of the PURC when it is time for tariffs. And people think that the PURC only sets the tariffs and after that we’ll go back and relax,” Ikililu said.
The office received 705 complaints in 2022, resolving 704. The following year, 855 of 884 received complaints were resolved. In 2024, the Commission closed 619 of 639 complaints, and in 2025 it resolved 1,000 of 1,029, the highest annual volume in the five-year period.
As of the first quarter of 2026, 223 of 257 complaints have been resolved, with 34 still pending. Ikililu said he expected the outstanding cases to be concluded shortly.
“As we speak, I’m sure some of those complaints have been resolved. And the other years, from 2022 to 2025, as we speak now, all those ones have also been resolved,” he said.
Complaints span billing irregularities, quality of service failures, delays in new service connections, and damaged consumer property. The Commission processes grievances through a formal complaint management procedure that includes investigation, engagement with service providers and, where warranted, orders for remediation.
Ikililu said the Commission operates WhatsApp platforms and regional offices to reduce the burden on consumers who would otherwise have to travel to file complaints in person.
“Through those WhatsApp platforms and other social media platforms, people can tell us what is happening in their communities in respect to water and electricity,” he added.
PURC was established in October 1997 under Act 538 as an independent regulator of electricity, water and natural gas transportation services across Ghana. Its mandate includes rate-setting, consumer protection, enforcement of performance standards, and the investigation of complaints.
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