Tema, Oct. 31, GNA – Seven districts under the Tema Regional Office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have embarked on its monthly campaign against power theft and improving revenue collection.
Apart from the Krobo district, which did not participate, the Tema North, Afienya, Prampram, Ada, Nungua, Tema South and Ashaiman districts all actively were involved in the campaign.
Mrs Cynthia Bannerman, ECG Tema South District Manager speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Tema identified the campaign zone under the Tema South District as Communities: One to Six; Fishing Harbour, Tema Newtown and parts of industrial area.
She said seven teams were formed with staff drawn from all the sections in both the region and district.
Mrs Bannerman said the teams who mostly worked at Bankuman in Tema Newtown visited 350 customers, which were made up of mainly residential and a few non-residential.
She added that in all, some 36 illegalities were identified in the area, saying the infractions included; meter tampering, by pass, use of wrong tariff class, direct connection, and unauthorized service connection.
She said the customers received them warmly and requested that the staff of ECG should visit them often since apart from checking the integrity of their meters, they also educated individuals on ECGs policies and procedures.
She said the campaign against power theft would be a monthly exercise, as according to her, power theft drained the company financially and also affected them technically.
“Those few people involved in illegal practices should stop so that ECG can be viable to undertake customer oriented projects to improve on our service delivery,” she said.
She stated that “my advice to the public is to desist from illegal connection because it is a criminal act, which can lead to prosecution, also customers can report any suspected illegality to our offices, when the report is validated and confirmed, and the informants will be given an incentive.”
Mr Yaw Ohenebeng Kissi, ECG Ashaiman District Manager, on his part said the exercise went well in his area, with staff visiting over 140 customers who were predominantly prepaid clients in Ashaiman Newtown.
Mr Kissi said due to the interactive nature of the campaign instead of rigid enforcement, the customers were happy to see the staff visiting their premises as they talked about some of their power challenges.
He said there were some few issues of usage of substandard cables, meters fixed away from main structures due to the nature of settlements in the area giving way to bypass.
He noted that the campaign was an affirmation that the ECG would continue to monitor its meters and most customers were now complying and stopping engagement in illegalities.
The Ashaiman District Manager reiterated that there was the need for the public to report illegalities to the Company as according to him, ECG spent lots of money to transmit power to clients.
He said: “if customers could help to eliminate theft and help in revenue mobilization, ECG will provide better services and even lead to reduction in tariff as there would be less losses”.
GNA