Energy Minister Alhaji Kanja Sesay Vows to Tackle Electricity Theft

As a way to help in the fight against electricity theft, the Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay has said that his ministry will use the non-traditional approach in the fight against energy and electricity theft, and anti-social behavior in the country.

The Minister made this disclosure during a press conference on Monday 22nd January 2024, at the Electricity House in Freetown. He said they will start naming and shaming customers either small or big, hotels and factories.

According to the minister during his statement, he said his ministry will be more aggressive than before and will be paying unannounced visits and going on a massive disconnection drive irrespective of status.

He went further and stated that several steps have been taken in the past to help fight against those obstructing and destroying electricity supplies but not going anywhere causing huge technical and commercial losses.

“The illegal abstraction of power which we have been talking about a decade became a serious issue more when it attracted the attention of President Julius Maada Bio who decided to set up a special Presidential task force and with a special court to address electricity theft but the problem still persists”.

The minister rendered his ministry frustration over the issue and appealed to all to join in the fight emphasizing on the actions that will be take against anyone found in the act.

The Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) in a recent public notice reminded the public that any form of electricity interference leading to abstraction and non-payment of electricity bills is a violation of the National Electricity Act of 2011.

It stated that as illegal abstraction of electricity continues to be a menace that negatively impacts the Authority’s ability to provide reliable and sustainable power to its valued customers, the authority will continue its nationwide routine exercise of monitoring and inspecting premises and business houses with the aim of checking the appropriateness of the electricity installation to combat this menace.

The Authority is advising and encouraging all its valued customers to stop all forms of illegal abstraction or electricity theft with immediate effect and report all suspected cases of illegal abstraction or electricity theft to EDSA on 672 or 079695104.