ECG recoups GH¢3.2 m from Illegal power consumers
THE Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has recovered a total of GH¢3.2 million from consumers who had illegally connected power, following the revenue protection exercise it embarked upon about two months ago.
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One hundred and fifty-two individuals and institutions have also been prosecuted following the exercise.
The total units of power recovered from the illegal connections stands in excess of five million kilowatts. In all, 452 illegal connections were identified.
Giving a graphic presentation on the exercise in Accra yesterday, the acting Manager of Technical Investigations, Mr Ishmael Oku, said two institutions – Superline Company Limited, a recycling company situated along the Graphic Road and Najinaram Hotel at Shiashie in Accra – were fined GH¢87,000 and GH¢18,000 respectively for illegally connecting power.
Sophisticated power theft
Mr Oku said some of the culprits had used very sophisticated means in stealing power and that if staff of the ECG had not been very observant and professional, they would not have noticed the thefts.
The Director of Customer Services, Nana Attah Forson, said when culprits were found, the ECG surcharged them for the power consumed, prosecuted and had their names published in the newspapers to serve as a deterrent to others.
The Head of Public Relations, Mr William Boateng, said the activities of power thieves had played a major role in the company being labelled as inefficient and that the campaign to clamp down on the thieves would help in recovering lost revenue.
Revenue protection exercise
The Managing Director of the company, Mr Robert Dwamena, launched the revenue protection exercise on August 1, 2015.
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He said in spite of the existence of loss control outfits in the company, the theft of power was becoming “overwhelmingly high”.
The decision to embark on the exercise, Mr Dwamena explained, followed a pilot exercise carried out at Dodowa where it was realised that out of the total of 591 customers of the company, 110 of them had connected power illegally.
Those found culpable, he said, had been surcharged, and a total of GH¢100,000 was retrieved from them.
Mr Dwamena said they were also prosecuted.
He said after the revenue protection exercise, a monitoring team would be deployed to ensure that those found culpable did not go back to repeat same.
Writer’s email: victor.kwawukume@graphic.com.gh