ECG POWER THIEVES IN TROUBLE …As Company Begins Nationwide Auditing of Meters

The management of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is set to embark on an aggressive nation-wide exercise in the coming days to decisively deal with individuals as well as companies engaging themselves in various forms of power theft, through illegal connections of its lines across the country.

This exercise, according to the ECG, will see mass arrests, prosecutions and publication in the dailies, of names of customers and unscrupulous element among the general public, who, by design, by-pass and or tamper with the company’s meters with the intent to avoiding payment for the full cost or part of power use, among other offences.

The Anchor is informed that a crack team of taskforce has been set up by the power distributor to carry out the exercise, without fear or favour – to clamp down on perpetrators behind the illegality costing the state millions of cedis.

According to this paper’s information, the recent major shake-up at the top management undertaken by the new Managing Director (MD), Samuel Dubik Masubir Mahama, has been part of the measures to ensure the successful execution of the exercise aimed at sealing all loopholes to prevent further revenue loss.

The exercise of the taskforce will include field survey and auditing of all ECG meters, as well as, update of customer information nationwide.

The move follows recent revelation in April this year by the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, that the Electricity Company of Ghana loses about $400 million to illegal connections.

Even before the exercise could start, management of the state-run power distributor has given customers and general public a one-month moratorium to report any forms of electrical faults on their meters for rectification before the exercise kickstart.

In a notice issued by the company and sighted by The Anchor: “The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) Limited wishes to inform [our] cherished [customers] and general public that we will conduct audit of all our meters soon. As part of this field survey, teams of ECG Officials will be deployed to update customer information.”

According to the notice dated Wednesday, June 8, 2022, “all customers are being given a MORATORIUM of one month, beginning 7th June to 6th July, 2022, to report to our District/Regional offices for rectification of the underlisted issues:”

They are; Postpaid customers who have meters but do not receive bills, Prepaid customers who do not purchase electricity credits, Customers whose meters are faulty, Customers who have by-passed or tampered with their meters and are, therefore, not paying for the full cost of power usage” including “Customers who have engaged in any form of electrical illegality, etc”.

Management, however, warns that after the grace period is over, customers who have been involved in stealing of the electricity power would be dealt with; as their names would also be published in the dailies.

“Please note that after this moratorium, customers who are caught stealing electricity, which is criminal, will be charged with offense of stealing in accordance with the law. Their names shall also be published widely,” the notice stressed.

Meanwhile, the Accra West Regional Manager, Ebenezer Ghunney, has confirmed that a national taskforce has been set up by the Energy Ministry to deal with illegal power usage activities.

Ghunney told Joy News in an interview that, “The Ministry of Energy under the direction of the Honorable Minister for example, has set up a national taskforce to help us catch those who are undertaking illegalities. So that taskforce is in place. On a day-to-day basis you can walk into any of our offices and talk to the manager, they are there to assist and they are there to listen, to help us curb all unfortunate activities”.

Mr. Ghunney stressed that the Energy Commission will soon draft a Legislative Instrument which will outline a number of punitive measures to deal with persons engaged in power theft.

“If you are into the business of committing illegalities, don’t do it. ECG has sent a proposal through the Ministry of Energy to the Energy Commission (EC), which is drafting a new L.I. and we are asking for the punitive measures to be enhanced. People are going to be punished more. People will be prosecuted and their names will be published in the dailies. If you want your family members and friends to identify and see you as one who steals power, over to you,” he told JoyNews’ Blessed Sogah.

source:anchorghana