NEDCO to stop illegal connections
The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA) is to embark on a massive operation to arrest and prosecute people indulging in illegal power connection in its operational areas.
Advertisement
The exercise, which is aimed at stopping illegal connections, will involve the arrest and prosecution of culprits including those who tamper with meters and transformers.
NEDCO operates in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and parts of the Volta, Ashanti and Western regions.
Effect of power theft
The Director in charge of Services at NEDCO, Mr David Adomako Mensah, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic at a community forum at the Sagnarigu chief’s palace in the Northern Region, also said that theft of electrical power was on the ascendancy so the exercise was meant to clamp down on the perpetrators.
Mr Mensah added that the company recorded 22 per cent power theft last year, which he noted was above the 20 per cent limit of losses set for the utility companies by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
He stated that apart from the losses, the practice also discouraged investors from the sector.
Community engagement
Mr Mensah explained that the community interaction programme preceding the exercise was intended to educate the public on the impact of power theft on the operations of the company and ultimately electricity generation, supply and distribution in the country.
“People consume power and are not paying for it through illegal connection. Others are served with bills but refuse to pay, while some also tamper with their electricity meters to prevent them from recording the actual quantity of power consumed”, he stated.
Other Trending Stories
Construction of substations
The director disclosed that NEDCO was sourcing funds to build more substations to improve electricity generation and supply.
The company is being supported by the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) to construct substations in Sunyani and Nyankpala in the Brong Ahafo and Northern regions respectively.
Advice
The Chief of Sagnarigu, Sagnari-Naa Abdulai Yakubu, advised the people to refrain from all acts that would affect the operations of the power company in the area.
The residents were also educated on the electricity tariff adjustments.
During the question and answer period, some residents appealed to NEDCO to fast-track the application processes for connection and acquisition of meters to curb the increase in illegal connection of power.