Africa-Press – Liberia. The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) has disclosed plans to license qualified electricians and as well put an end to people purporting to be electricians and causing havoc in the electrical energy sector of Liberia.
The LERC, following a two-day (February 9-10) Technical Review Workshop on licensing, technicians, and wiring code in Monrovia. The LERC said they aim to stop people who are pretending to be electricians.
Speaking Thursday, February 9, 2023, at Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia during day one of the workshops, Stefania Marrone, Head of Green Team representing the European Union delegation to Liberia said it is a milestone for the energy sector of Liberia because we will have a harmonized electricity technocratic setting with a regulated wiring system via the wiring code, taking into consideration that Liberia hag to be regionally integrated into its neighboring countries electrical coding system.
“The need for this cannot be over-emphasized as we see already the power-sharing of the four countries Cote d Ivoire, Liberia, Siera Leone, and Guinea under the CLSG arrangement),” Marrone noted.
According to her, she is not tired of repeating that the benefits of electricity are reaching all parts of society, together with the important economic growth that accompanies it.
“I wish to emphasize and bring attention to the benefits that this represents in promoting social and human development for women, who have access to a better quality of life, and for youths who can benefit from electricity to complete their education and to all, for the increase in security that electricity brings along,” EU representative explained.
Madam Marrone added that with US$63 (52 Million Euros), the European Union has financed the program called Monrovia Consolidation of Electricity” to support the Government of Liberia in its effort to provide sustainable and stable electricity to all citizens.
She revealed that one of the contracts under the program secured a total envelope of 2.8 million Euros for a 3-year-long Technical Assistance for Capacity Building and Institutional Support to the Liberia Electricity
Regulatory Commission (LERC) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
The EU representative indicated that the scope of action was to have in place a functioning Electricity Regulatory Framework, which is
not fully operational and allows tendering and awarding electricity generation, transmission and distribution licenses and related contracts in the major settlements of Liberia, including the rural area.
“The European Union believes that the expansion of the electricity sector must be affordable and for
this to become true; adding that a solid private sector is necessary.
She said since a stable and well-regulated environment in the energy sector is a precondition to attract the private sector, the technical assistance to support LERC and the Ministry of Mines and Energy is of paramount importance for the whole energy sector in Liberia.
Madam Marrone commended the government for having placed particular emphasis on the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development by focusing on infrastructures in the country.
For his part, LERC Managing Director Augustus V. Goanue described the regulatory process as a milestone in the electricity sector of Liberia.
Goanue stressed that the LERC has worked on many regulations; adding that three regulatory instruments that will be reviewed during the workshop will make an important impact on the electricity sector, in terms of service delivery and installation.
“We have come here today to review the documents that our technical team has set up about two weeks ago,” he stated.
Also speaking, Atty. Martus K.W. Bangalu Director and Deputy National Authorizing Office (NAO), Ministry of Finance noted that for the past twenty-five months, the LTTA team has done well along with LERC and Ministry of Mine and Energy; saying that many regulations have been drafted which have helped to build the capacity of Ministry of Mine and Energy staff.
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