WCA MAY 2015

Industry news

Ghana gets tough with wiring regulations

is not wired by a certified electrical wiring professional (CEWP), who will eventually issue an installation completion certificate, the facility will not be connected to the national grid by the Electricity Company of Ghana.” Ghana Energy Commission – Ghana Website : www.energy.com.gov.gh

to engage in any electrical wiring of properties in Ghana, how wiring is done, and the kind of materials used to wire properties in the country,” he added. “To enforce this, the commission has tied the exercise to service connections. In this regard, if a facility

FROM 25 th February 2015 all new buildings in Ghana must have valid wiring certificates to avoid having their supply cut off from the national grid. This is just one of the measures being introduced by the energy commission to regulate the operations of electrical engineers, to uphold professional standards, and to protect life and property. The commission has instituted a certification scheme for electricians across the country. Its principal programme officer, Solomon Sarpong, has said that electricians who fail to comply with the directive will be prosecuted. “The certification programme seeks to inject some professionalism into the electrical wiring industry. Electrical wiring has a lot to do with the safety of persons and property because faulty wiring consequently causes a lot of fire outbreaks, among others. “The Electrical Wiring regulation 2011 (LI 2008) passed by parliament in 2012 has three key objectives: who qualifies Tyre cord demand tires Belgian steel wire and cable maker Bekaert reported that its 2014 operating profit rose at a slower rate than anticipated, blaming a slowdown in the Chinese market for tyre reinforcing wire. The group, whose steel wire is said to feature in 25 per cent of the world’s automotive tyres, said earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) was $195 million in 2014. However, sales were largely in line with analyst expectations, and core profit was above the consensus. “Tyre cord activities in China did deteriorate towards year-end 2014 and impacted our annual results on some key performance criteria, compared to the most recent analyst estimates,” Bekaert confirmed. In December, Chinese manufacturer Shougang issued a profit warning, stating that selling prices for steel cords had fallen in the second half of the year. Bekaert NV – Belgium Website : www.bekaert.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2015