Private Water Suppliers in the Sunyani West District are pleading with government to pay them monies owed as a result of the provision of free services for the past three months as part of government’s COVID-19 response.
According to the Organizer of the Private Water Suppliers Association in Sunyani West, Eric Frimpong, Government paying the debt in bits has brought untold hardships on them.
He therefore called on Government to pay the full amount owed for water production not to grind to a halt.
He was speaking when Officials of the Sunyani West District Assembly visited Chiraa to pay Water Producers.
As part of the Government’s COVID-19 Relief Package announced in April, free water was supplied for a period of three months, April, May, and June which was later extended.
Private water producers are however aggrieved as they are still owed monies as a result of the free supply.
Speaking to the GBC, the Organizer for the Sunyani West Private Water Suppliers, said the Association went into an agreement with the government before they started the free water supply programme, which stipulated that the government pays them for each month’s supply.
He continued that the Government unfortunately failed to live up to that.
He lamented that the situation has plunged them into severe financial difficulties as some of their members are widows and pensioners with the water business as their main source of income.
The Secretary for the Sunyani West Private Water Association, Kofi Boateng in an interview with GBC’s Radio Ghana, also said the situation has led to their inability to pay their workers and buy electricity.
He revealed that he is owed GHC3,600 for the 3 months but has only received GHC320. He consequently pleaded with the Government to pay their monies in full.
Reacting to this, the Wash Facilitator of the Sunyani West Municipal Water and Sanitation Team, Seth Ryan explained they do not have control over the payment as the Assembly is just responsible for collecting the details of individuals to be forwarded to the Central Government.
