The Techiman Operational Area of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) recorded 17.9 per cent revenue loses through energy theft and illegal connection in 2022, Mr John Mumuni Tayari, the area Manager of the company has stated.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Thursday at Techiman, the Bono East Regional capital, Mr Tayari said, despite the losses, impact on operational sustainability, the company achieved 89.7 per cent out of 95 per cent revenue collection and other operations target within the year.

He explained that Techiman Operational Area of NEDCo covered the entire Bono East, parts of Ashanti, Bono, Savanna, and Northern Volta Regions and added that consumers indebtedness to the company was a worrying situation.

Mr Tayari hinted that as part of effort to recover those debts, the company was to embark on debt recovery exercise through disconnections based on non-payment of bills and checking of illegal connections as well as arresting and prosecution of perpetrators to compel consumers to settle their indebtedness.

He announced the company was prepared to initiate legal actions against consumers, either private individuals or companies, institutions and organisations who might not conform to the guidelines of power supply of the company,

Mr Tayari said it would be better to deter unpatriotic, nation-wrecking individuals and entities from using illegal means to get electricity supply.

He identified bush fires and indiscriminate felling of trees as major challenges facing the company because such activities not only destroyed power distribution lines but truncated continuous flow of power supply, which caused unexpected power outages with related multiple socio-economic loses to consumers.

He appealed to stakeholders such as farmers and other community members to assist the NEDCo in protecting the power distribution lines from destruction, especially through humanly caused activities for public interest.