Vice president of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has taken a swipe at the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for its apparent inefficiency and the recent trend of attributing challenges to hackers.
In a X post, Mr Simons, raised concerns about the utility company’s handling of its billing system and the introduction of “smart meters.”
The GWCL, responsible for providing water services to the public, has faced ongoing criticism for billing discrepancies and operational inefficiencies.
To enhance efficiency in meter reading, the GWCL announced its intentions to deploy drones capable of conducting readings within 15 minutes from a 500-meter range in 2022. As a result, the company successfully installed 80,000 smart meters.
However, Mr Simons has pointed out that despite producing a significant amount of water, the company has struggled to bill accurately for half of its water output.
“Ghana Water Co! You can’t bill for 1/2 the water you produce. So, you introduce “smart meters”. 7 years on, less than 10% of your customers have them. 90%+ of those who have reported that they are a mess. Rather than focus, you buy drones to read meters! Now you’re blaming hackers!,” his tweet read.
According to him, in an attempt to address this issue, the GWCL introduced smart meters seven years ago.
Ghana Water Co!
— Bright Simons (@BBSimons) January 28, 2024
You can't bill for 1/2 the water you produce.
So, you introduce "smart meters".
7 years on, less than 10% of your customers have them.
90%+ of those who have report that they are a mess.
Rather than focus, you buy drones to read meters!
Now you're blaming hackers! pic.twitter.com/7UfljbUBHn
He indicated that less than 10% of the company’s customers have been equipped with these meters, and a staggering 90% have reported dissatisfaction, citing various operational issues.
He suggested rather than addressing the core problems with the smart meter initiative, Mr Simons noted, the GWCL appears to be diversifying its focus by investing in drones to read meters.
According to him, the primary concern should be fixing the existing problems rather than introducing new technologies without a clear resolution to ongoing issues.
He further urged the company to take responsibility for its shortcomings and prioritize addressing the fundamental issues affecting its service delivery.