Jordanian PM vows crackdown against electricity grid violations

Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Sunday stressed on the need to tackle common assaults and violations against the electricity grid to minimize lost power and vowed to take a tough line against violators.
Chairing a cabinet meeting devoted to the issue of electricity theft, Ensour urged authorities to hit hard at any violation of the law or attempt to challenge state prestige.
He cautioned that any violation against the electricity networks, as a national resource, amounts to an assault on public property, assuring that the full force of the law should be applied on all without exceptions.
The prime minister urged electricity distribution companies to take all the necessary precautions to ensure that no power blackouts occur during winter or emergencies and also urged officials to learn from previous experiences.
The meeting also dealt with other issues facing the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and distribution companies, including the percentages of lost power, estimated at about 4 percent of the energy output, the equivalent value of 800 thousand dinars per month or JD6.9 million annually.
He also added that the amounts of overdue payments of public institutions had reached JD38 million in addition to JD24 million owed by regular subscribers.