ECG to lay off workers

Hundreds of workers of the Ashanti East district of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will soon be declared redundant as the ECG brings on ultra-modern Global Position Service embedded prepaid meters to facilitate revenue generation.

The General Manager of revenue protection, Ing David B. Asamoah briefing the media on the workings of the new smart metres stated that with the introduction of the smart prepaid meter, there will be no monthly bills and disconnections.

As a result, meter readers and other personnel engaged in power distribution considered as casual workers might be affected while others might be schooled as far as the new prepaid meter is concerned.

Ing. Asamoah disclosed that 68,000 meters would be replaced free of charge, which exercise, he said intended to help ECG plug all loopholes in its revenue mobilization.

The distribution of the new Enerstsmart from China, which consists of the main meter and the interface which is used to load credit on the meter starts in December in the Ashanti East district, which covers areas like Kejetia, Mampong, Manhyia and Dichemso.

The Revenue protection officer indicated that the new prepaid meter has numerous benefits which include customer budgeting for electricity, friendly to use, GSM and GPS embedded, which can be used to pass on information to the user.

Mr. Asamoah said the device is so smart that if someone tampers with it, the meters shuts off by itself and said the Chinese made meter has been certified by Achemer test and the Ghana Standard Authorities for use in Ghana.

The Communication Director of Ashanti ECG, Mr. Erasmus Kyei Baidoo, indicated that the introduction of the smart meter is a comprehensive prepaid meter and will be installed to replace the old analogue types.

He indicated that a three month feasibility studies has been done at the Texas and Sports Hotels at Asokwa in Kumasi to see how the meter operates.

Mr. Kyere Baidoo said the ECG had sent a team to the manufacturer in China to monitor stage-by-sage production of the meters to ensure the durability of the Chinese made devices.

The Regional Commercial Manager of ECG, Mr. Michael Boaduk, warned the masses to desist from tampering with the new meter, stressing that one could be prosecuted for that .