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Projected gov’t media campaign looks to curb power theft
By JT - Mar 02,2015 - Last updated at Mar 02,2015
AMMAN — The government is planning to launch a media campaign to warn against electricity theft and to urge the public to report violations.
In a letter sent to daily newspapers, TV and radio stations, and news websites late last week, Media Commission Director Amjad Qadi urged media outlets to broadcast and publish awareness material issued by the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission on the illegal use of electricity.
Qadi’s letter was in line with directives by Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani to the Media Commission, Jordan News Agency, Petra, and Jordan Television and Radio Corporation.
Momani called on media organisations to carry awareness letters issued by the government for free as part of their cooperation to curb electricity theft in the Kingdom.
Under the law, people involved in illegal use of electricity or those who involved in sabotage of power lines face jail terms as well as fines.
Electricity loss currently stands at 15 per cent and can be reduced to 9 per cent with the right strategy, especially as theft is blamed for a significant part of this loss, according to the Energy Ministry.
Last month, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour chaired a special meeting of government agencies in charge of the energy file to discuss means to address violations on electricity networks. In the first two months of this year, the EMRC dealt with 440 violations on the national power grid, of which 78 were on electricity networks.
Over 8,000 cases of electricity theft were registered across the Kingdom last year. Electricity loss costs the National Electric Power Company around JD10 million a year.
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