By: Audrey Raymonda John
The current Director General (DG) for the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), Mr. Abu Kamara had told journalists during the just concluded budget hearing presentation at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on George Street in Freetown that under his astute leadership, the authority had enhanced huge revenue collection rate. “Before no, EDSA’s revenue collection was low”, he stated and affirmed that since his appointment as DG, several strides have been made through concerted efforts to improve on the authority’s revenue collection process. Mr. Kamara further informed the gathering that EDSA had also improved robustly on it application collection from customers, a process which he said, had led to the connection of more customers on the grid, coupled with the installation of hitech prepaid meters that would lead to more revenue enhancement. Mr. Kamara explained frankly that in the month of August alone this year, the authority increased it revenue from Forty Billion Leones (Le 40B) to Sitxty Billion Leones (Le 60B), adding that in September 2022, EDSA increased it revenue collection rate Sixty Five Billion Leones (Le 65B). “We are on target to double the annual revenues in 2022”, Kamara stated. Moreover, the DG was quick to inform the press that the authority was facing enormous challenges, including the illegal abstraction of electricity. He lamented that customers or consumers of electricity have now made it a habit not to pay for services, but rather illegally abstracting electricity by deliberately distorting the regular connection from one point to another. He emphasized on how the illegal abstraction of electricity had adversely affected the revenue streams of the authority for the fact that money which should have been paid to EDSA’s account were not recorded. Kamara encouraged the general public to refrain from such an unpatriotic act, noting that the authority had out mechanisms in place to monitor, inspect and supervise all connections. During the process of implementing the highlighted mechanisms above, Kamara warned that “If anyone found wanton of inappropriate connection would be dealt with within the confines of the law. Mr. Kamara intimated pressmen that the authority is also working on the rehabilitation and expansion of the network through the connection of more primary and secondary substations, installation of transformers and LV Panels to enhance quality supply or distribution of electricity.
