WCA MAY 2015

13 / 68

11
Wire & Cable ASIA – May/June 2015
Industrynews
FROM 25th 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
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
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:
Ghana gets tough with wiring regulations
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: