By Makutu Manneh
The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) will begin a nationwide inspection campaign within the next two months aimed at identifying and eliminating illegal electricity connections, its managing director, Gallo Saidy, said in a recent interview.
Speaking on QTV, Mr. Saidy described the forthcoming exercise as “aggressive,” warning that individuals found to have unauthorized connections will be billed for unaccounted electricity consumption and have their meters removed.
“Illegal connections are a serious concern for NAWEC and should be a concern for the entire Gambian population,” he said. “Stealing electricity from NAWEC is effectively stealing from everybody else.”
Mr. Saidy also addressed the issue of electricity meters, emphasizing that all meters remain the property of the utility company. Payments made by customers, he said, cover the provision of service rather than ownership of the meter itself—a distinction clearly stated on customer invoices.
He added that, going forward, the transfer of meters from one location to another will no longer be permitted. The practice, he said, has created operational challenges for the company.
“It is the responsibility of the landlords to ensure that the houses they are renting out have the services that are required,” Mr. Saidy said. “Meter transfers are causing a lot of problems for NAWEC, and they have been stopped. It is not going to happen anymore.”
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