The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has identified 285 major markets countrywide whose electrical systems need to be improved.
A report of a technical audit carried out by the company in the districts and regions under its mandate indicated that 63 of the markets are in the Western Region; 62 in the Ashanti Region; 57 in the Greater Accra Region; 44 in the Volta Region; 38 in the Central Region and 21 in the Eastern Region.
The Public Relations Manager of the ECG, Mr William Boateng, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that following the fire outbreaks at the Kantamanto, Konkomba and Makola Number Two markets, the government directed the ECG to conduct a nationwide inspection of all markets to ensure that all electrical installations in such places met their approval.
It also directed the security agencies to co-ordinate with the management of the ECG to apprehend and prosecute any person or group of people found to have engaged in illegal electrical connections in the markets.
Mr Boateng said following the directive from the government, the company set up technical teams to go round the markets to assess the situation, identify the problems and offer solutions.
In response to the issues identified during the technical audit, the ECG, Mr Boateng said, would remove all illegal connections, replace undersize conducts and improve the network.
He also said, �the company plans to use modern conductors known as aerial bundle conductors (ABCs) which are good for such environments (markets)� and added that the ABCs, although very expensive, are fire-resistant and insulated.
Mr Boateng said once the initiative began, the urban areas would be tackled since their accessibility was easier, adding that for rural areas, it would take some time since the transportation of materials could delay because of road networks and distances.
He explained that the audit did not cover markets in the Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions because electrical power to markets in these areas is provided by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
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