Monrovia, Thursday, September 26, 2024 – Energy sector stakeholders drawn from various Liberian government institutions have begun a three-day review exercise of the 2022 National Energy Policy Draft to ensure it meets global trends and current realities.
Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA), and the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) are participating in the policy review. Others include Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC), and the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA).
Speaking on behalf of Mines and Energy Minister, Wilmot Paye, Deputy Minister for Administration, Eudora Blay-Pritchard, stressed that in order to complete validation of the 2022 Energy Policy Draft, it is important to get the input of entities within the sector. She said, this can be achieved by carrying out regular revisions of the policy to transition it from a draft, to a full-scale National Energy Policy. The Deputy Mines and Energy Minister stated, that all development programs of the government are crucially aligned with the availability of quality, reliable and affordable energy, which cannot be overemphasized.
In accordance with the 2015 Electricity Law of 2015, the Mines and Energy Ministry which is the sector lead, is mandated to review the energy policy of Liberia after every five years. This has seen the Ministry establish a sector working group, which has been working collaboratively in advancing recommendations needed to reform the energy sector.
Also speaking, Deputy Minister for Energy, Charles Umehai, said, building a resilient energy sector for prosperity and development, which is the focus of the three-day gathering, requires the professional contributions of every actor in the sector. Mr. Umehai urged the participating institutions to exchange, share ideas and insights relevant to reshaping Liberia’s energy policy directions to reflect the current needs of communities and ensure a more sustainable energy future.
Giving overview and presentations on gaps in the Energy Policy Draft, the various sectoral entities spoke highly of the need to consider their institutional perspectives on validating the policy. They mainly pointed out that it would serve the best interest of the Country and its energy consumer communities if revision of the draft policy consider open-minded recommendations, and not one institution or the other, solely holding onto their pre-existing establishment policies and regulations, which should not be touched in terms of reform.
LPRC Managing Director, Amos Tweh, told his counterparts during the workshop that his administration is interested in the policy reform process because according to him, a single policy working document [when achieved] will clearly indicate roles, responsibilities and scope of operation by every sector entity to promote efficiency, productivity, and avoid overlapping of function.
The Draft National Energy Policy review workshop is looking into several priority areas including energy sufficiency, efficiency, expansion and innovative ways of generation, transmission and distribution of energy to drive national development through economic growth.
