(Business in Cameroon) - In East Cameroon, close to 60% of electricity users do so illegally, electric utility ENEO indicates. The electric utility claimed in a recent note published to inform of the strong fraudulent electricity use in the region.

"From January 2021 to date, in a sample of 1,500 clients visited, 949 customers fraudulently use the electricity. This represents 60% of illegal users. Frauds contribute to service degradation and insecurity. It also causes financial losses for the whole electricity sector,” ENEO writes.

It explains that it initiated actions to regularize the situation of illegal users by carrying out new connections, installing smart meters for large clients, and introducing prepaid meters.

This revelation comes almost two months after the alert it raised about the town of Minta (located in Haute-Sanaga), which is connected to the East Interconnected network. Indeed, in October 2021, the electric utility indicated that since March 2021, none of the electricity users in that town has paid for the energy they were using. 

"It will be difficult for Minta residents and those living in the Eastern region to get stable and quality electricity service as long as fraudulent connections, anti-social conducts persist and they also fail to pay for their consumptions,” ENEO wrote.

It emphasizes that 30% of the energy distributed in Cameroon is swindled into illegal distribution networks and installations. The financial loss caused by such practices is estimated at XAF60 billion annually, therefore, depriving the Cameroonian electricity sector of the resources that could have been invested to improve service quality.

SA