STEALING ELECTRICITY

Nov 04, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Stealing is common in every country, but in Guyana it has become a habitual practice for many who believe that it is the only way for them to survive. However stealing from the government has become a major problem, especially the theft of electricity from Guyana Power and Light (GPL).
It is done not only by the poor, but also by the working class and the business elite, many of whom had been doing so for years. When caught, in some cases, a bribe is offered and the illegal practice continues.
The theft of electricity is widespread, especially in the rural areas of the country where there is hardly any proper monitoring of the system. The theft of electricity has placed GPL between a rock and a hard place because the company does not have the wherewithal to put an end to this scourge.
In fact, a report issued about a year ago stated that electricity theft along with power losses due to line resistance was costing GPL an estimated US$2 million per month. We are certain that this amount has since increased.
Based on data which we cannot validate, it is estimated that more than 50,000 homes and about 20 percent of businesses are fuelled by electricity theft. The general public is fully aware that the theft of electricity is, of course, a criminal act, but that does not seem to deter those individuals who willingly engage in a kind of Russian roulette in the hope that if they are caught they can probably talk their way out of being charged. They may also be of the view that they could bribe the individual who made the discovery.
Some rationalize their theft of electricity with corruption by public officials. Some believe that they have not seen anything wrong with stealing a little electricity when the “big ones” in government are stealing millions of dollars from the treasury.
But the fact that people continue to steal electricity from GPL is indicative of a much deeper problem in the country. It is a total disregard for the law and GPL and the misguided belief among many people that there is nothing wrong with taking and utilizing property of others without their consent.
Therefore, the first reaction of many who are caught stealing electricity is that the authorities should give them a break and not prosecute them. It is this kind of illogical thinking that has spawned socially deviant practices in the country—-squatting, theft of utilities in general, and the reckless driving by drunk and errant drivers.
GPL officials are frustrated by the level and persistence of the problem and have promised to start naming and prosecuting offenders. However, while there may be legal concerns to publicly name an offender, GPL should aggressively prosecute those who steal electricity regardless of their socio-economic position or status in society.
People must know that if they break the law they will be punished, not only for electricity theft, but for everything else, including corruption because the most effective deterrent to crime is the fear of being caught, successfully prosecuted and placed in jail.
Outside of that, GPL and the powers that be are merely wasting time and resources on a problem that will continue to be the bane of our existence. Asking law-abiding citizens to report electricity theft is like asking the public to call the police with information on criminals. Most have not complied with the request because of fear of reprisals and moreover, if not the nature of Guyanese to report on their neighbours or friends. It is called “snitching.”
If GPL is to make any significant headway in dealing with the theft of electricity, it cannot rely on informers. It must implement a proper monitoring system and prosecute offenders.

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