EDM loses 5 million meticais to fraud, electricity theft in Tete, Mozambique

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EDM loses 5 million meticais to fraud, electricity theft in Tete, Mozambique

2:47 CAT | 16 Jan 2018

File photo: Magazine Independente

The state-owned Mozambique Electricity company (EDM) has lost at least five million meticais (around US$85.977 at current exchange rates) over the last year as a result of power theft, fraud, clandestine connections, theft of meters and vandalism of electric cables in Tete province.

Provincial director of Mineral Resources and Energy in Tete, Grácio Cune, yesterday revealed that the vandalism of power transportation posts creates huge losses for EDM as well as for consumers who end up suffering blackouts or receiving poor-quality energy supply.
He said that the theft of energy, including clandestine connections, cost EDM 3,193,000 meticais.
“We recorded 2,290 cases of energy theft through fraud. We also had 801 clandestine connections. They harmed the company because the people involved did not pay for the energy consumed,” he said.
“Theft and vandalism of electrical equipment like cables and other accessories, have cost Mozambique Electricity 630,260 meticais. It seems only a little, but it is a lot because we have to take into account the number of people whose interests were thereby harmed.”

Cune said that the theft of electricity transmission posts had cost the company 574,912 meticais.

“The theft of meters cost 202,520 meticais in 2017, which is in itself a major concern for our sector. This amount could be used to expand electric supply to regions which do not yet have it, for example,” Cune said, calling on the population at large to denounce those involved.

Source: AIM Moçambique