Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy, and Food Security, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and the Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC).

The call was made during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly government press briefing on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Dr. Yumkella did not hold back in his criticism, highlighting the limited achievements of EDSA and EGTC despite substantial support from international bodies like the World Bank and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). He emphasized the necessity of establishing professional boards to provide strategic and technical guidance to both entities. This, he argued, is essential for generating and distributing electricity efficiently and ensuring financial sustainability.

“The call for aggressive and intrusive reform of EDSA and EGTC is to avoid losing $431 million by 2027,” Dr. Yumkella stated. He noted that transitioning from Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) to alternative energy sources could add $192 million to EDSA’s cash flow. Reforms, he asserted, would improve EDSA’s 33KV and 11KV distribution networks and implement an efficient audit system.

Dr. Yumkella also suggested that EDSA adopt an advanced metering system for its 3,000 largest consumers, who account for 40% of the country’s electricity consumption. He stressed the need for private sector involvement to drastically reduce electricity theft.

“This call is not a witch-hunt but a progressive one that would capacitate and upscale the country’s challenged energy sector,” Dr. Yumkella explained. He lamented the lack of political will from successive governments to reform EDSA, attributing the persistent power challenges to this inaction.

Dr. Yumkella’s call for reform aims to set Sierra Leone on a path towards a more reliable and efficient electricity supply, crucial for the nation’s development and energy security.