By Grace Q. Bryant
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Monie Captan, has announced that the LEC has arranged for the importation of an additional 300,000 meters to address the current meter shortage at the institution.
Speaking over the weekend during the closing of a roundtable discussion with stakeholders in the sector at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, CEO Captan stated that the new meters would help alleviate some of the challenges faced by customers.
The LEC boss urged Liberians to refrain from purchasing stolen meters, stating, “No one should encourage the buying of stolen meters because once you stop buying them, there will be no more stealing of meters.”
He added, “If you want us to connect any community with a new transformer or meter, there is a cost attached, and if 30-40 percent of our revenue is stolen, we will not have the money to make those necessary investments.”
CEO Captan emphasized that every kilowatt of electricity that is stolen deprives LEC of revenue stressing that, the LEC needs to close the gap to better serve its customers.
“We all have a responsibility. As long as you are asking LEC to do all those things that surround your electricity, we too are asking you to be good citizens. Electricity is precious because it makes a difference in every society,” the LEC boss explained.
According to him, one of his greatest satisfactions comes from connecting a community that has been without power for a long time.
CEO Captan further noted that everyone has a role to play in ensuring that Liberia succeeds in combating power theft, emphasizing that without the support of citizens, the institution will not improve.
The LEC boss encouraged residents to pay their bills noting that, without these payments, the LEC will be unable to address some of the many challenges it faces.
He urged residents to report power theft to the Liberia National Police (LNP) instead of LEC, as power theft is a crime and the authority to make arrests lies with the police.
