International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

search-icon

Management of Accounts Receivables in Utility Companies: A focus on Electricity Company of Ghana (E.C.G.)

Open access
Almost all standard textbooks on Accounting: Managerial and Financial discuss accounts receivable in varying degrees of depth and scope with" emphasis skewed towards the particular discipline. Financial accounting discusses accounts receivable as information for external users to use to interpret financial statements (Libby; et aI (2001) managerial accounting discusses accounts receivable as a cost to management (Hilton, 2002). Financial management, however, discusses accounts receivables as a current asset requiring short-term investment and financing strategies (Brealy; Myers (2000).This study's objective was to determine the effectiveness of the management of accounts receivable by Electricity Company of Ghana. The study analyzed secondary data from the audited annual reports of the company for a period of four years from 2007 to 2011; the company's billing system, operational reports and primary data from both structured and unstructured questionnaire. The results show that Electricity Company of Ghana has an average accounts receivable days' sales outstanding of 158 days over the study period and unrealistic provision for bad debt of about 5%. The study's conclusions indicate that the company is not very effective in its accounts receivable management. The study, therefore, recommends that the company's business processes should be reviewed, finalised accounts with balances over 150 days be declared bad debts and managed separately from the net realizable accounts receivable.
Anthoney, R. N.; Hawkins, D. F., Merchant, K.A. (1999). Accounting: Text and cases . 10 ed. Boston. Irwin/McGraw-Hill: Shelsted.
Bateman, T.S.; Snell, S. A. (1999). Management: Building competitive advantage . 4th ed. Irwin\McGraw-Hill: Beytein.
Brealy, R.A.; Myers, S.C. (2000). Principles of corporate finance (6th ed.) Boston. Irwin\McGraw-Hill: Beytein.
Brigham, E.F.; Ehthardt, M.C. (2002). Financial Management, Theory and Practice (10th ed.) Harcourt College Publishers.
Colton, R.D. (1995). Credit and collection strategies in a competitive electric utility industry.
Dyckman, T.R.; Davis C. r.; Dukes R. L. (2001) Intermediate Accounting (5th ed.) Irwin\McGraw- Hill: Beytein.
Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. (2003). 35th Annual Report & Audited Accounts 2003. Buck Press.
Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. (2004). 36th Annual Report & Audited Accounts 2004. Buck Press.
Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. (2005). 3rd Annual Report & Audited Accounts 2005. Buck Press.
Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. (2006). 38th Annual Report & Audited Accounts 2006. Buck Press.
Electricity Company of Ghana Ltd. (2007). 39th Annual Report & Audited Accounts 2007. Buck Press.
Emos Consultants. (1994) Review of ECG Prepayment Metering Pilot Program.
Francesco, A. M. Gold, B. (2005). International organisational behaviour: Text, cases, exercises (2nd ed.) New Jersey. Pearson\Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle.
Hilton, R. W. (2002).Managerial accounting: Creating value In a dynamic business environment.(5th ed.) New York. Irwin\McGraw-Hill: Shelstad.
Larson, K.D.; Wild, J.J.; Chiappetta (1999). Fundamental accounting principles (15th ed.) Irwin\McGraw- Hill: Shelstad.
Libby, R.; Libby, P.; Short, D. (2001). Financial Accounting.(3rd ed.) Irwin\McGraw-Hill: Beytein.
Marfo, Y. O. (2002). Government of Ghana Budget Statement. Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning .
Menke, C.; Fezzari, P. G. (1994). Improving electric power utility efficiency: Issues and recommendations. World Bank technical paper number 243
Munasinghe, M.; Saunders, R. J. (1988). Energy Issues in the developing world. World Bank Policy Research Writing Series No. 106
Parking, M. (2004). Economics.(7th ed.) Addition Wesley Ross, S.A.; Westerfield, R.W.; Jordan, B.D. (2001). Essentials of corporate finance(3rd ed.). Irwin\McGraw-Hill: Beytein.
Salek; G.John. (2005). Accounts receivable management: Best practices. John Wiley
Vukania, D.B.M.; Adjiku, W.; Barfour, A.T.; Afeku, LK; Kyeremanteng, W.K. (1999). Report of the committee on action plans for improved and sustained revenue collection.
World Bank Technical Report (2001) Efficiency: Issues and Recommendation. No. 243
Darko, E. A., Adarkwah, S., Donkor, F., & Kyei, E. (2016). Management of Accounts Receivables in Utility Companies: A focus on Electricity Company of Ghana (E.C.G.). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 6(11), 428-459.