By Politico staff writer
High ranking government officials last week addressed government’s new approach to providing energy to the people of Sierra Leone. The Minister of Finance and the Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security, both spoke at the weekly government press briefing on Tuesday 2nd July this year.
Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, chairman of the climate change and renewable energy project in the office of the president expressed determination to focus on “foundational” problems to tackle the country’s challenge with electricity. “To change an energy system takes time, it takes 30-40 years. It cannot be political and you the citizens must know every regime that comes will have to put down its own foundation. We the citizens must know that this is a structural issue, it’s a systemic issue, it’s not a quick fix,” Dr. Yumkella said.
Finance Minister, Fantamadi Bangura emphasized the same approach, which he said will be done by building on the strengths of the country in the energy sector. Bangura said Sierra Leone’s long-term solution will be to build on its hydro potential across the country and blend it with solar, an approach the finance minister says has already impressed investors.
Dr. Yumkella said the country laid five key energy projects for potential investors to look at - scaling up Bumbuna from 50MW to 120MW, 50MW in Kamakwei, 50MW in Bikongoh, Dodo hydro project scale up from 6MW to possibly 12MW and 15MW in Singimi, Moyamba District. He said “to build all this infrastructure is difficult but it is doable in the next 3 years with all the money we are getting.”
Dr. Yumkella and the Minister of Finance said a lean team of technical experts has already been assembled by President Bio to track down all those potential investments, and some of the money could be ready in the coming months to invest in projects like Bumbuna and Tormabum.
In his statement, the Minister of Information, Chernor Bah said all of these investments have been made possible because of the transformational work and leadership of President Julius Maada Bio and the caliber of the people he has assembled to serve the country. “It is not about President Bio alone, it is about all of us; me you and all other people and what we can do to take Sierra Leone forward,” Bah said.
This came amidst Sierra Leone’s success in securing the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s compact program to support the energy and education sectors and at the same time President Bio’s mobilization investment to the tune of $800million at the OPEC roundtable two weeks ago. The investments will target energy and agriculture and help to address the long term ‘structural’ issues with both sectors.
The country has in the past three months experienced public outcry on the inefficient electricity supply especially in the capital Freetown. This led then Minister of Energy Alhaji Kanja Sesay to relinquish his role.
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