The Director-General of the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (SLEWRC), Dr. Emmanuel Mannah on Monday 2nd September 2024 informed the media at the Conference Hall of the Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO), Tower Hill in Freetown that the Commission was established in 2011 to regulate both the electricity and water sectors nationwide including registration, setting of prices and monitoring for quality products among others.
He also reiterated the need for public consultations that have been held in other parts of the country including Bo and Kenema. He stressed that the SLEWRC Act is a tool to regulate the sector, and that, they have done a lot of work and a lot has happened over the thirteen years since the establishment of the SLEWRC to meet current trends citing the need to incorporate sanitation into its mandate and more players.
The engagement was part of the nationwide public consultations on the review of the SLEWRC Act No. 13 of 2011 for which funds have been solicited from the World Bank.
The consultant for the draft reviewed Act, (FAME Consulting Services), Alfred Paul Juwah Esq. enlightened that they looked at the Sierra Leone Constitution, the Consumer Protection Act and the National Investment Board Act among several others, best practices in other countries including Nigeria and Ghana. He affirmed that some provisions in the revised Act would be retained but modified, that the revised Act would be user-friendly and called for private sector participation by opening the space.
He furthered that there are several provisions in the Act to be amended while others would be replaced, and that some of the issues raised by stakeholders in other parts of the country visited, include composition of the Board of the SLEWRC, its functions and tenure from 3-5 years, that the Board is made up of representatives from various institutions including the Sierra Leone Institute of Engineers and the Sierra Leone Bar Association and underscored the need to include women in the Board citing the Gender Empowerment Act.
Other issues highlighted were the need to heighten public education/sensitization about the functions and activities of the SLEWRC, appointments of the Director-General and Deputy, how to fix water rates and charges, and unfair competition citing that soon there will be an introduction of Africa Continental Market. He clarified that the SLEWRC is supreme and the need to engage and sensitize Members of Parliament on the draft Act.
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on SLEWRC, Hon. Mus Lahai urged SLEWRC to engage and sensitize Members of Parliament on the draft Act, that there is need to include sanitation in the mandate of the Commission, protection of the environment, disposal of plastics, merger of laboratories and collaboration with key stakeholders, reiterating that the Commission cannot operate in isolation.
Other stakeholders called for an enabling environment for players in the private sector to operate, and that solid and liquid wastes as well as sludge should be recycled to produce manure and manufacturing of other products like tiles in addition to the recycling of water.
The need to harmonize the water rates of Guma Valley Water Company and SALWACO was also highlighted, that SALWACO for example operates 24-hours on generators and cannot even breakdown on its expenditure as tariffs are driven by costs while GUMA operates on gravity for which the former was advised to spread its tariffs evenly among its numerous customers nationwide as sometimes it supplies water free of cost to hospitals and in cases of emergencies.
Stakeholders also appealed to SLEWRC to have a fixed time to review tariffs and the need to ensure quality and efficient service even with Independent Power Providers.
Highlights of the event were the presentation and overview of the SLEWRC Act, update on the draft amended provisions, comments, recommendations and feedbacks.
