The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has introduced a system that will reward persons who report those engaged in illegal connections to enable them to enjoy power for free.

According to the General Manager of the ECG Tema Region, Emmanuel Akinie, illegal connections are denying the power distribution company valuable revenue.

He says the new system will ensure that a massive revenue mobilisation drive is instituted to minimise the country’s energy sector debt.

“First of all, it is wrong to steal power, but what we have also done is that anybody who reports somebody who has carried out illegal connection gets something out of the money that we’ll recover from the illegality.”

“We are encouraging people to report those who are involved in illegal connections. Once we can detect that there is illegality involved, you’d be entitled to some percentage of the amount that we bill,” he said.

Emmanuel Akinie warned perpetrators of the crime to stop as the law will soon catch up with them and get them prosecuted for their offences.

The Tema region of the ECG apprehended many customers last year over power theft and retrieved about ¢6.2 million.

In an interview with Joy Business, Mr Akinie added that “some customers are paying by the instalment due to agreement with ECG. A chunk of the said amount has been paid, and those involved are expected to finish paying by the end of June this year.”

The Region has, over the years, descended on recalcitrant customers who are bent on using electricity illegally by recovering millions of cedis from them through a special arrangement.

Once these infractions are uncovered, the revenue protection team takes these persons on.

There are also instances where individual customers or companies involved are handed over to the police as part of the investigative process.