Regional News of Monday, 9 July 2012

Source: GNA

Enforce standards to ensure safety of private/public facilities - Walker

Mr. Joseph Walker, President of the Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA) has underscored the need for state institutions to ensure the safe use of electricity in the country.

To this end, he said government should enforce Legislative Instrument (LI) 1816 that enjoins an applicant for the supply of electricity to ensure that the electrical installations are done by a qualified electrician, who gives the supplier a duly signed and dated installation completion certificate approved by the supplier.

Mr. Walker made the call at the closing session of an Advocacy Training Programme for members of GECA at the Electricity Company of Ghana Training School at Community 10 in Tema.

He urged government to address the current practice whereby electrical and civil components were bulked together in the award of contracts because in his view, the practice was having a negative impact on the business of members of the Association.

Mr. Walker entreated relevant institutions in the Ghanaian Business Environment to lend their unflinching support to GECA in its bid to see to the strict enforcement of LI 1816, to ensure sanity in the electrical construction industry.

Mr. William Hutton-Mensah, Managing Director of ECG, said the failure of customers to pay their bills promptly was a major challenge facing the company and therefore urged them to honour their bills on time.

Mr. Hutton-Mensah pledged ECG’s determination to provide customers with execellent services.

Mr. Kwasi Afriyie Badu, Chief Executive Officer of BUSAC, organizers of the programme, presented certificates of participation to the 26 participants, and urged members of GECA to strive hard to address the numerous challenges facing the construction industry.**