Govt Urged To Act On Rising Cable Theft

Joseph Obeng

 

A member of the National African Peer Review Mechanism (NAPRM) Governing Council, Mr. Joseph Obeng, has called on the government to introduce stricter regulations, particularly for metal recycling companies, to help curb the increasing incidents of cable theft across the country.

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines at the Electrical Distributors of Ghana inaugural Independence Day games at the University of Ghana rugby pitch, he said the widespread phenomenon is not only affecting private construction sites but critical national infrastructure, including railway lines and electricity installations.

“There is a growing menace of cable theft in this country. Any consumer who is building or undertaking a project will attest to the fact that these days you buy cable, fix it in your building, and the next moment it is stolen.  This thing is going on without any control. We want government to pay attention to this because it is destroying homes and some government projects,” he disclosed.

“We should put control or regulation on the metal recycling companies that are emerging in this country, because they are the main factors driving this theft. People steal these items, take them to the recycling plants and sell them cheaply while consumers suffer,” he stated.

According to him, regulating how recycling companies acquire raw materials could significantly reduce the incentive for theft and compel people and companies to buy only legitimate products from suppliers.

“So we want government to seriously look at the metal recycling companies and the problems that are arising. Stricter regulations and enforcement would compel recycling plants to verify the legitimacy of metals before purchasing them.

“The recycling plants will do very little unless there are stricter regulations that are enforced. Government must check how they receive their raw materials, who sells to them and what punishments apply if they buy stolen metals. A lot of people now steal high tension electric cables and sell them,” he added.

Apart from cable theft, Mr. Obeng, who is the immediate past President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), also bemoaned the influx of substandard electrical products on the market, which has over the years contributed to fire outbreaks.

He said ongoing collaborations between electrical contractors, dealers, the Ghana Standards Authority and the Energy Commission aim to educate the public about the dangers of inferior electrical materials.

“We are working with the Ghana Electrical Contractors Association and other stakeholders to disseminate information that will make people aware of shoddy electrical products in the system,” he said.

Mr. Obeng also urged consumers to purchase electrical products from accredited dealers and rely on qualified electricians who could distinguish between genuine and substandard materials.

 

By Ebenezer K. Amponsah

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