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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 48333, member: 636"] Cabinet bosses want every government office to pay for electricity before they use it. The new rule forces state buildings to install prepaid meters or pay monthly bills on time. Energy Minister John Jinapor told Parliament that this move will help the power company collect more money. The plan targets technical losses and commercial problems that hurt the electricity sector. Government leaders hope the changes will make power distribution work better across Ghana. Some important places will have different rules for paying electricity bills. The President's office gets special treatment along with the army and police stations. Schools and hospitals also receive protection from the standard meter requirements. These critical services need reliable power without payment interruptions. The minister explained that these places perform vital functions for the country. Power company officials created a special team to catch electricity thieves. The task force hunts down people who tamper with meters or steal power illegally. New laws will punish electricity theft more severely than current penalties. The ministry wants to scare criminals away from stealing power. Stronger punishments should protect honest customers who pay their bills. Smart meters have reached 2.1 million homes and businesses around the country. Plans call for two million additional smart meters between 2025 and 2029. The World Bank will help install one million more meters over four years. These devices track power usage more accurately than old meters. Better tracking means fairer bills for customers. The power company raised 1.6 billion cedis through June this year. Digital improvements helped boost revenue collection significantly. Ghana owes 3.1 billion dollars to energy contractors and suppliers from past debts. Total energy sector debt reaches 67 billion cedis when power producers are counted. [/QUOTE]

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