The Energy Commission (EC) has engaged Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana, Volta Region, on the implementation of the Electrical Wiring Regulation, 2011 (L.I.2008).
This engagement forms part of the commission’s tour of all PDS operational areas to sensitize stakeholders on the Electrical Wiring Regulation.
The Electrical Wiring Regulation, 2011 (L.I. 2008) was passed into law on Friday, February 24, 2012, as one of the responses to the spate of electrical fires in the country.
The key objectives of the regulation are to ensure that Only qualified and certified professionals engage in electrical wiring and installation works and to ensure well-defined standards are put in place for the safety of persons, livestock and property.
In his welcome address, Delali Oklu, General Manager of PDS Volta Region, thanked the Energy Commission (the technical regulator of PDS) for honouring calls from PDS for the engagement to sensitize all stakeholders on the implementation of the L.I.2008.
According to him, “the Energy Commission regulates the technical activities of PDS which includes the quality of power supply and service connection”.
He added that “the implementation of the L.I.2008 has brought a lot of challenges and issues like service connection charges by certified inspectors and electricians in the districts, hence the need for this engagement with the Energy Commission to sensitize all stakeholders and nip this menace in the bud”.
According to Stephen N-ebe Yomoh, Programme Officer from the Inspection and Enforcement Directorate of the Energy Commission, there are two categories of people operating under this law namely, the compliant and non-compliant
He explained that compliants are those who comply with the law and have been licensed by the Energy Commission to carry out wiring activities.
Mr Yomoh reiterated that “the customer only pays for the services of the Certified Electrical Wiring Professional (CEWP) but not the services of the inspector”. He added that “it is the duty of the CEWP to pay the inspector not the customer”. He admitted the challenges caused by customers who engage the services of non-complaints as such people force customers to pay the inspectors.
He appealed to the public to stop engaging the services of non-certified electricians and report such people to the police.
According to him, a certified electrician app has been developed and the list of all certified electricians has been published on the Energy Commission website with copies at every PDS district office to assist customers in choosing certified electricians for their wiring activities.
Mr. S. Abrefa Besea, Regional Commercial Manager of PDS Volta, reiterated that any amount charged by an electrician during service connection is not an amount charged by the Power Distribution Services (PDS) Ghana. According to him, “the electricians who carry out wiring activities are not staff of PDS and that the company does not charge its customers and the general public for wiring activities during service connection”.
Also present at the engagement were Nana Ama Akoto Appiah and Isaac Amoako from Energy Commission, Mrs. Roberta Neeman Quarshie (Regional Human Resource Manager), Ing. Jones Makumator (Regional Engineer), Ing. William Addey (Regional Revenue Protection Manager), Benjamin Obeng Antwi (Regional Public Relations Officer), District Managers, District Technical Officers, District Engineers, District Commercial Officers and Customer Relations Executives from PDS Volta.