Electricity Company of Ghana, not Committed to Reducing Commercial Losses

An electricity power bandit, who siphons power from Volta River Authority of Ghana and trade it to over 100 customers, is uncovered at Maamobi in Accra.

A vital investigation conducted by a Ghanaian Times reporter has exposed a dubious electricity provider popularly known as Sammy, at Maamobi. Sammy, the self style ‘‘independent power supplier’’ can now boast of over 100 customer base.

He charges Gh ¢ 5.00 per household, regardless to the number of house hold appliances per customer.

What is difficult to comprehend is that this unlawful act and impunity has gone on for years without being detected.

It is normal that Electricity Company of Ghana has personnels, who do monthly rounds to every household for meter reading and distribution of bills. What is not ordinary is that ECG does not seem to ask questions when they see houses with electricity without meters to be read.

Sammy does not only engage in electric power distribution. According to him, he also provide pipe borne water to people apparently from Ghana Water Company through the same illegality.

Speaking to the Times reporter, Sammy complained that he borrowed over Gh ¢ 4000 to undertake these two projects.

These revelations have fueled suspicions that personnels of Electricity Company of Ghana are not only aware of this criminality but also, they are part of it.

The findings of the investigation is also an indicative that the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana Water Company are oblivion of the huge loses the they incur.

When VRA/ECG took their turn at the public accounts committee of parliament last week, it was revealed that the VRA was operating at a loss of 25% of their total energy production which translates into Gh ¢ 6 million.

The losses were classified as commercial and technical. According to the VRA, when they attempted to reduce only the technical loses in only two areas, one area in Kumasi and Madina in Accra, it cost them $ 30 million.

Mr. Cephas Gakpo, the acting Chief Executive officer of the Volta River Authority added that power theft contributed immensely to the operational losses that they were grappling with  

VRA was also on record to have reported that they were owed to Ministries Departments and Agencies to a tune of about $250 million. It is therefore unacceptable that all the losses, which are as a result of the inefficiencies of utility providers, are transferred to the poor and innocent consumers.

It would serve the utility providers some good to immediately set up a task force to go round investigate, and if possible to disconnect and charge people who are engaged in any illegalities.