The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has announced that it will embark on an exercise to clamp down on illegal power connections in the country. The company’s Managing Director, Samuel Dubik Mahama, has stated that illegal connections cause significant losses to the company, and people who engage in such activities will be tried for stealing.
In a recent interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Mahama urged people who have illegally connected to the grid or are using fake meters to address the issue before the exercise is rolled out. He also cautioned that there will be no favours on the day of reckoning, stressing the need to stop the illicit behaviour.
The losses incurred by ECG due to illegal connections were cited to be at least GH₵2 billion, according to a newspaper report. The company’s losses are currently at about 28 percent, which amounts to GH₵2.8 billion. Private manufacturing industries and mining firms are the highest debtors, followed by some government institutions.
The ECG’s ongoing debt collection exercise, which began in March, aims to recover GH₵5.7 billion owed by customers. However, Mr Mahama admitted that not all the money in default can be retrieved within the stipulated time, and the company is considering outsourcing the debt to private institutions.
The clampdown on illegal power connections is a step in the right direction to reduce the losses incurred by the ECG and ensure that customers pay for the services they use. It is important that Ghanaians comply with the regulations and avoid engaging in such activities that have negative impacts on the country’s economy.