Elektrodistribucija power distribution utility teams on Monday began making initial preparations to repair the Arachinovo electricity distribution grid damaged by pervasive electricity theft, according to the EVN national power provider, writes MIA.
After the crews complete their inspection of the Arachinovo network, they will start reconfiguring the wires and repairing the damage caused by illegal connections, sources from the power utility told MIA. It could take over a year to reconfigure and repair the local area distribution grid.
“The end result is to provide Arachinovo residents with uninterrupted electricity,” EVN sources said.
After the Arachinovo power grid crashed last week because it could no longer keep up with the demand — as more and more electricity was being stolen from the network — Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi and EVN Macedonia teams met with Arachinovo Mayor Ridvan Ibraimi and reached a temporary solution to the energy theft problem.
After the meeting, Minister Bekteshi said the power utility company would start sending teams to collect bills from Arachinovo locals as well as from inhabitants of other places who have not been paying for electricity. He said he would also ask the Interior Ministry to look into municipalities with large distribution losses because electricity theft, he said, was factored in as a cost when forming electricity prices. Bekteshi confirmed there were distribution losses in the Municipality of Arachinovo, but added that this kind of energy theft was also noticed in Kumanovo (16.2 percent), Tetovo (10.7 percent), Gostivar (19.3 percent), Kichevo (12.1 percent), and Skopje (19.6 percent). He said legal action would be taken in all these cases.
“I am urging everyone to respect the law,” Bekteshi said. “The legal provisions are aimed at not jeopardizing the electricity supply or the distribution system.” He stressed that stealing electricity, or illegally connecting to the power supply network, is a crime punishable by law.
