Victor Owusu, Public Affairs Officer, EC, who disclosed this to BUSINESS GUIDE, said the enforcement of the law would ensure that only qualified electricians are allowed to wire buildings.

 

The Commission, in its quest to fully enforce the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2012 (LI 2008), issued a directive that from February 25, 2015 any electrician who undertakes electrical wiring services without a certificate from the Energy Commission (EC) would be prosecuted.

 

To ensure compliance to the law, the Commission began conducting professional examinations for electricians in the country, and about 1,500 electrical wiring practitioners so far have been awarded with certificates to operate.

 

Mr. Owusu told BUSINESS GUIDE that offenders of the law would be liable to a fine of 250 penalty units (equivalent of GH¢6,000) or two years’ imprisonment or both.

 

“The deadline we gave to the electricians has elapsed and we will soon begin the enforcement of the law. We will not spare any electrician caught wiring any building without electrical wiring certificate,” he said.

 

Mr. Owusu said currently the Commission is embarking on a nationwide educational campaign to educate the public and electricians about the law, stating that “by May this year, we will finish with the nationwide education.

 

“Immediately after the education the Commission would deploy Certified Electrical Wiring Inspectors who would check and approve of the electrical wiring of a building before the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would connect power to that facility,” he noted.

 

He said currently about 19 electrical wiring inspectors have been hired, adding that more would be engaged soon to ensure effective inspection of wiring works.

 

Mr. Owusu said the law would ensure the protection of life and property by ensuring that electricians avoid shoddy electrical wiring to avert fire outbreaks.

 

He advised house owners to employ certified electricians to wire their buildings, stating that following the passage of the electrical wiring regulations, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would not connect any building to the national grid unless they produce certificate to indicate that they have adhered to all the provisions under the regulations before they are connected.

 

He said the Commission would continue to educate the general public to engage the services of good and certified electricians and advised electricians to sit for the exams to obtain certificates to operate.