ECG disconnects customers in Western Region

The Western Regional office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has embarked on a disconnection exercise to get its defaulting customers to settle their indebtedness.

Institutions such as the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the University of Mines (UMaT), the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, as well as domestic consumers are said to be owing the ECG more than GH¢4 million.

Currently, GBC television transmission in the Western Region has stopped due to the disconnection of electricity to its Tarkwa transmission station said to be owing GH¢224,008.

Parts of UMaT have also been disconnected. The university has been given up to the end of October 2015 to settle its indebtedness of GH¢1.2 million.

 Prosecution

The Regional Commercial Manager of the ECG, Mr Alex Anwobor, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that besides the mass disconnection, 17 customers in the region were before court for owing the ECG of between GH¢400 and GH¢4,700.

On revenue protection, he said the loss control team had been put on high alert to check illegal connections and other sources of revenue losses.

Mr Anwobor also said every meter would be inspected and customers found to have illegally connected power will be prosecuted.

He added that to improve its revenue collection in the Tarkwa District, the ECG intended to roll out prepaid metering on a pilot basis.

 Network Improvement

Mr Anwobor said the ECG was committed to improving its network and quality of supply, even in the face of the power shortage.

“Currently work on two more primary substations are ongoing. These are located at the Takoradi Harbour and Mpintsin Free Zone area,” he said.

 Bulk Supply

For her part, the Regional General Manager, Ing. Jacqueline Ofori-Atta, said as part of its quality drive, six bulk supply points (BSPs), 13 primary substations and 2,132 secondary substations had been installed in the region.