The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has hosted this year’s African Electricity Regulatory Peer Review and Learning Network (PRLN) in Accra.
The five-day programme which began on April 17th to April, 21brought together chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Electricity Regulatory Institutions from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, and South Africa. It also saw the participation of regulatory experts and lead energy researchers from the Power Futures Laboratory, based in the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
PRLN is an intercontinental platform designed to facilitate experiential learning and sharing between the CEOs of electricity regulatory institutions in Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana.
This was contained in a statement released by the PURC and copied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
The PRLN was aimed at enhancing leadership and management capability among African electricity regulators to increase credibility, transparency, and robustness of regulatory decisions.
It was also geared towards enhancing the overall investments and development outcomes through improved performances of the continent’s electricity industry.
According to the statement, the programme which was hosted under the auspices of Energy Industry Captains, was supported by the University of Cape Town (UCT) Power Futures Lab, in collaboration with the European Global Energy Transformation Programme (GET-Transform).
It said the event comprised a comprehensive review of the energy sector, which focused on engaging and interviewing major stakeholders like the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI); Trades Union Congress (TUC); Ghana National Chamber of Commerce; Ghana Chamber of Mines; Media; Ministry of Energy; Power generators, transmitters and distributors in the sector.
Again, the statement indicated that participants discussed the country’s power sector; the strategic &policy environment; the regulatory governance and performance as well as regulatory substance, and impacts.
This year’s PRLN in Ghana came at a time when the PURCranked fourth in the 2022 Electricity Regulatory Index (ERI) for Africa. The exercise was carried out across a number of key metrics by the African Development Bank’s ERI for Africa.
CEOs present at the programme were Dr Ishmael Ackah (PURC); Mr Ziria Tibalwa Waako(Electricity Regulatory Authority, Uganda);Mr Daniel Kiptoo Bargoria (Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Kenya).
The others were Mr Nhlanhla Gumede, (Member of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa) and Mr Pinehas Mutota, (General Manager, Economic Regulation; Electricity Control Board of Namibia).
BY TIMES REPORTER
