400 communities connected to national grid

Government through the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has connected four hundred(400) rural communities in the Eastern Region to the national grid under Self-help Electrification Project (SHEP) and the Rural Electrification Project.

The US$61,373 million projects was awarded to the China International Water and Electricity Corporation by the Government of Ghana in 2019.

According to the Eastern Regional General Manager (RGM) of ECG, Ing. Michael Baah, about 26,741 meters and other materials required to bring electricity to the doorstep of consumers were provided for free under the project.

The Eastern Regional General Manager disclosed this in an interview with some of the media in Koforidua on Wednesday, February 26, 2020.

“ECG in the region hooked over 400 communities to the Grid last year and about 100 have also been connected since the beginning of this year and we are hopeful to connect more communities to the National Grid by the end of this year.” He stated that about 45,000 customers have benefited from the projects so far and that the bene!ciaries cut across the fourteen operational districts of ECG in the Region. Beneficiary communities include; Asarekrom, Koteyeboah, Amafo-Krom, Oseikrom, Asuobena No.1 &2, Teimuni, dodowuraso 1&2,Abohemaa, Domebra, Wawase 1&2, Agbogo, Govinakrom,Densuano, Boase Cedi, Korkorsua, Kwao Nartey, Santramor,Nkranfo, Yaw Badu, among others.

Giving ECG’s projections in the Eastern Region for the year 2020, Ing. Baah stated that about 200 development projects have been earmarked this year to improve supply voltage and supply reliability. He added that the projects are also meant to extend power supply to newly developed areas within the region and also reinforce the existing electrical network with the utmost aim to make service delivery easily accessible to

customers, enhance customer satisfaction and contribute towards the growth of the social economy of targeted communities.

“The projects include the injection of 120 distribution transformers, 80 system improvement jobs, and other projects aimed at upgrading the network and improving customer satisfaction” he added. He added that ECG’s utmost objective for the year 2020 is to reduce its Commercial losses and that the company has initiated strategies to clamp down on illegal connection. Ing. Baah further stated that ECG will soon launch special telephone numbers for reporting of illegal connection.

“The special numbers will allow customers to willingly inform ECG ofany suspected illegal connection activities in their communities and that any customer that informs ECG of illegal connection will be given six percent of the amount generated if the illegality is confirmed” he added.

He, therefore, encouraged customers and the general public to assist ECG in the fight against illegal connection. He also appealed to customers of ECG to endeavour to pay their bills promptly to enable ECG to undertake more development projects to support the economy of Ghana.