Sabotaging The National Grid, Despite LEC Recent Strides In Improving Power Generation And Distribution
PHOTO: LEC out-going Managing Director, Professor Monie Captan
By Augustine Octavius
The Liberian government, the largest consumer of the electrical supplied by the Liberia Electricity Corporation, is said to be part of the problem hampering the viability of LEC which owes about 18,975,049 United States Dollars, amounting to 14 percent of the of the energy sold.
Out-going LEC Managing Director, Monie Captan disclosed recently, that the management and board of directors have engaged the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning and the Ministry of Mines and Energy that the arrear is allotted in the 2025 proposed budget.
Addressing a press conference at the LEC offices in the Township of West Point, Professor Captan added that the engagements are intended for the government to make payment for the consumption of electricity by each agencies and ministries
“The payment energy bills by the government will improve LEC’s capacity to pay for energy import maintenance of its electrical network, thus, improving services to the general public,” he said.
According to the LEC Chief Executive Officer, since the inception of the energy transmission through the Transco CLSG line, LEC has reduced its bill from 32,499, 334 United States Dollars for energy import by 27,116,114 United States Dollars balancing 5,383,224 United States Dollars.
“Additionally,” he went on, “the LEC has been indebted to the Transco CLSG in the sum of 9,435,267 United States Dollars for transmission charges, but 8,314,034 United States Dollars has been paid leaving the balance of 1,111233 United States Dollars.
Captan noted that up 30, September, 2024, the balance debt for cross border for transmission in Nimba, Bong, Maryland and Rivergee Counties amount to 10,672,550 United States Dollars
On power theft, the out-going LEC Managing Director indicated that the loses of the corporation has reduced from 41 percent in 2022 to 27.39 percent in 2024.
He maintained that the company loses from power theft have reduced drastically from 27.2 million United States Dollars in 2022 to about 11 million United States Dollars in 2024.
As for customers’ connections, Mr. Captan explained that LEC has increased the total customer base from 199,441 connections in 2022 to 306,433 in October, 2024.
Captan noted that the LEC revenue has increased from 24 million United States Dollars in 2022 to 56,610,000 United States Dollars by the end of October this year and it is projected that the amount will increase to 68,000,000 United States Dollars by the end of 2024.
Commenting on the supply of electricity supple, the out-CEO narrated that when he took over the LEC in 2022, the power generation was 275426 Mwah of energy but it has increased to 430,344 but with the projection of 520,000 by the end of the year.
On the issue of grid coverage, Professor Captan pointed out that the donor support three sub stations were added to the grid in Congo Town, RIA and Schiefflelin thus enabling the entity to extension of electricity to as far Cotton Tree and Dolo’s Town.
“Currently, LEC has 13 sub stations and distributing electricity to 3,341 transformers and most of these were achieved through the world Bank, the European Union, the African Development Bank, with grid going as far as Grand Cape, Bomi, and Margibi Counties.
Professor Captan took over the management of the LEC from the ESBI from Ireland, which was financed by the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the World Bank.
There has been no name successor to take over from Professor Captan although there has been mount cry for members of the UP-led government for President Joseph Boakai to replace him.