Since the Electrical Wiring Programme (EWP) was first introduced almost ten years ago, THE Energy Commission has so far granted licences to 14,000 electricians.
The Electrical Wiring Program (EWP) is a training curriculum that is used by the commission to certify electricians and electrical inspectors in accordance with the 2011 Electrical Wiring Regulations (L.I. 2008).
Herbert Krapah, the deputy minister of energy, said the programme had cleaned up the electrical industry and also decreased the number of house fires brought on by faulty electrical work. He was speaking at the 10th anniversary of the programme's launch, which was held yesterday in Accra under the theme "Celebrating a decade of regulating electrical wiring industry in Ghana."
"The electrical wiring sector was primarily viewed as unorganised and populated by untrained professionals.
This not only damaged the public's confidence but also made us all vulnerable to the perils of shoddy wiring in our residences and places of employment, the speaker continued.
A public lecture, educating electricians and the general public about the EWP and L.I. 2008, and commission gifts are all planned as part of the year-long celebrations.
Several associations of licenced electricians, electrical wire production and retailing businesses, as well as other participants in the sector, attended the event.
Regulations
A person may not conduct electrical wiring on a property in accordance with L.I. 2008 Regulation 7 unless that person has received authorization from the Energy Commission or a licenced electricity distribution firm.
The commission is required to publish rules on how to become an electrician and to maintain a registry of electrical contractors and individuals qualified to do electrical work.
The use of a material not recognised by the Ghana Standards Authority for any type of electrical wire is likewise prohibited under Regulation 4 of the L.I.
Offence
Anyone who violates an L.I. 2008 provision is guilty of an offense, and upon summary conviction, they may be sentenced to a fine of up to GH3,000, a period of imprisonment of up to two years, or both the fine and the imprisonment.
Since the passing of L.I. 2008, Mr. Krapah has praised the commission for faithfully carrying out its regulatory responsibilities.
According to him, the commission's dedication and professionalism throughout the years contributed to the electrical industry's sanity and made the nation a role model for high standards in electrical work in the sub-region.
He asserted that the commission's decision to extend its activities by opening electrical wiring secretariats in Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi was evidence of its dedication to ensuring that electricians were officially qualified throughout the nation.
The days of professionals testing their own work with rudimentary methods because they had access to pricey test equipment are quickly passing.
A more competent testing of finished wire works is now available thanks to the commission's negotiated discount programme on such devices, Mr Krapah continued. Prof. Ebenezer Oduro-Owusu, the board chairman of the Energy Commission, promised that the organisation will soon put further measures in place to enhance the operationalization of L.I. 2008.
Measures
He listed a few of the measures, including the creation of standards and codes to make it easier for the nation to promote and use electric vehicles, the revision of the electrical wiring code to advance the sector, and the establishment of a practical examination facility for the certification of electrical inspectors.
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