The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will soon implement a new system to prevent people from engaging in illegal connection, an act that has been on the rise for years in the country.
This announcement was made by Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia at the launch of ECG’s mobile app in Accra on Tuesday.
“This app also enhances [revenue] collection because I’ve been talking to the Board Chairman and the MD that they should really be thinking about applying technology, i.e. artificial intelligence and remote sensors which sounds a bit complicated but it’s very simple in the collection process. I know that they are piloting a system now and by the grace of God, if all goes well, we would have implemented a new system starting this year whereby nobody will be able to steal electricity in Ghana again.”
“It’s a major thing that the ECG is likely to implement this year. Once we solve that problem, the issue of losses from people doing illegal connections of electricity will be a thing of the past and that means ECG will make a lot of money,” he stated.
ECG to reduce power theft
The Electricity Company of Ghana is seeking to reduce its losses to power theft to the barest minimum in 2020.
This will be down from the average loss of about 25 percent recorded annually.
According to the ECG, its annual loss of about 25 percent is equivalent to US$418.2 million.
This the power distributor describes as worrying as such, needs to be reduced drastically if not eliminated completely.
A/R tops illegal connections rate
The Strategic Business Unit of the ECG Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of illegal connections during last year’s Christmas festivities.
A report issued by the Revenue Protection Unit of the ECG disclosed that the issue also led to the loss of revenue in which measures have been put in place to recover such monies.
The action which was carried out during the festive season, spanned December 21, 2019, to January 7, 2020 covered seven regions within the Southern part of the country.
But it emerged that the Ashanti Strategic Business Unit recorded the highest number of illegalities such as illegal connections.