Auditor-General's (A-G) report has revealed that the Electricity Company of Ghana's (ECG) procurement of meters, amounting to over $145 million, breached the Public Procurement Act.

The report further disclosed that ECG failed to fully recover an excess of GH¢53.9 million identified through monitoring. Additionally, ECG did not pursue legal action against customers involved in electricity theft, which could have served as a deterrent to others.

The audit, conducted from August to December 2022, reviewed the period from 2016 to 2021. It covered various ECG locations, including the headquarters, Metering and Technical Services (MTS) Division, the Materials and Depot in the Greater Accra Region, as well as four selected regional offices and nine district offices.

“ECG signed 50 contracts to procure 862,750 meters and its accessories amounting to USD145,010,153.92 over the audit period without adhering to the requirement of the Public Procurement Act.”

“During our audit period, ECH was unable to recover all the GHC 53,988,463.31 that it detected through monitoring, and failed to prosecute customers who were engaged in power theft to serve as a deterrent to others,” the report stated.

In a letter dated June 2, 2023, addressed to the Speaker, Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu advised that ECG strictly adheres to the Public Procurement Act in all its procurement processes to ensure optimal value for money.