A six-man delegation from the Uganda Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engineer Ziria Waak Ziria Tibalwa Waako is in the country as guest of the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), a press release says.
At an inception meeting, the LERC Chairman Dr. Lawrence D. Sekajipo welcomed the delegation and pinpointed that “LERC has identified several gaps in its operations, and it was important to work with ERA in making recommendations on how to improve the Commission’s operations and LERC has chosen to work with the best on the African continent,” he noted.
Responding, ERA CEO Waako thanked LERC for the opportunity and described the mission to Liberia as complementary between the two institutions and noted “that Africa now has what it takes to solve its problems”.
The ERA delegation mission to its Liberian counterpart is to work with the Commission and conduct a thorough gap analysis on technical, compliance, enforcement and capacity-building needs of the LERC. The team will evaluate LERC’s existing Regulatory Governance and Substance, perform an on-the-ground assessment of operational challenges and training needs.
In addition, the delegation will engage various departments within the Commission, strategic stakeholders in Liberia’s electricity sector that include the licensed operators, the Ministries of Finance and Development Planning and Mines and Energy, Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), consumer groups, the media and among others.
At the end of the mission the delegation will make recommendations to the Commission on how it can enhance its technical, compliance, enforcement operation in the electricity industry in Liberia.
ERA delegation includes Harold Obiga Director Legal Services, Peter Kakeeto Manager Technical Monitoring and Compliance, Vianney Mutyaba Manager Pricing, Isaac Kinhonhi Manager Research and Planning and John Ntende Manager Corporate Planning.
Also in attendance at the inception meeting were officials of LERC that include Commissioner Amara M. Kamara, directors and heads of various departments.
ERA has consistently occupied the top position since the inception of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Electricity Regulatory Index (ERI) for Africa in 2018 and continues to maintain its prime standing as the number one electricity regulator in Africa.
The ERI is a composite index that measures the level of development in the Electricity Sector Regulatory Frameworks in African countries against international standards and best practice. Uganda’s Regulatory Framework emerged No. 1, as a result of the good and conducive Regulatory Environment put in place by the ERA.