The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has cautioned the public against illegal activities which disrupt electricity supply across the country.

The state power distributor said various forms of power theft, including illegal connections have dented the image of ECG in seeking to become the most reliable power distributor in the country.

The Accra West Regional Manager of the ECG, Ebenezer Ghunney disclosed that a national task force has been set up by the Energy Ministry to deal with illegal power activities.

“The Ministry of Energy under the direction of the Honourable Minister for example, has set up a national task force to help us catch those who are undertaking illegalities. So that task force is in place. On a day-to-day basis you can walk into any of our offices and talk to the manager, they are there to assist and they are there to listen, to help us curb all unfortunate activities,” he said.

Mr. Ghunney stressed that the Energy Commission will soon draft a Legislative Instrument which will outline a number of punitive measures to deal with persons engaged in power theft.

“If you are into the business of committing illegalities, don’t do it. ECG has sent a proposal through the Ministry of Energy to the Energy Commission (EC) which is drafting a new L.I. and we are asking for the punitive measures to be enhanced. People are going to be punished more. People will be prosecuted and their names will be published in the dailies. If you want your family members and friends to identify and see you as one who steals power, over to you,” he told JoyNews’ Blessed Sogah.

In April this year, Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, disclosed that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) loses about $400 million to illegal connections.

Sharing the data at a press conference, the Minister said the amount of money ECG fails to collect is largely made up of its commercial losses and collection losses.

“I mean theft; those who are stealing metres, those who are bypassing their metres, those whose metres are not working, and those who don’t even have metres but also have electricity.”

According to Dr. Opoku Prempeh, ECG would struggle to be a viable company if these illegalities, which result in accruing debts, persist.