LERC Launches RDBMS

The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) with support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) on 28 March 2024 launched the Regulatory Database Management System (RDMS) at the E.J.S. Ministerial Complex in Oldest Congo Town.

The RDBMS will automate the Commission’s regulatory processes to monitor utilities’ performance on set benchmarks such as financial performance, technical and commercial quality of service performance, quality of service delivery and operational efficiency.

In a message delivered on behalf of the Vice President of Liberia, H.E. Jeremiah Kpan Koung, the Chief of Office Staff Prince Menkalo Gbeieu reiterated the Government of Liberia unwavering commitment to bolstering the energy sector to attract investment and foster economic growth.

“Regulatory Data Base Management System will not only provide the Commission with the capability to digitally interface with its licensees or service providers and their consumers but will also link Liberia's national electricity regulatory regime with our sub-regional electricity market actors such as the ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority and the West African Power Pool, as the ECOWAS work towards a common electricity market for the sub-region”, Mr. Gbeieu asserted.

Dr. Lawrence D. Sekajipo, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of LERC lauded the AfDB for the support to the work of the Commission. The RDBMS will have the ability to track and monitor the regulatory processes.

The Commission has embarked on the implementation of its Five-Year Strategic Plan (2023 – 2027), automating its internal processes using the Regulatory Data Base Management System will enable the Commission to improve operational efficiency, achieve higher productivity and reduce turnaround times in business processes to attain the targets set in the strategic Plan, Dr. Sekajipo asserted.

He appealed to the AfDB to continue its technical assistance and financial support to the Commission to undertake readiness assessment of licensed operators for “full integration with the Commission’s Regulatory Data Base Management System for data exchange to facilitate and enhance performance monitoring and compliance to the terms and conditions of their licenses”.

Dr. Sekajipo explained that the system contains web-based and mobile data collection capabilities such as data visualization, data collection tool and the generation of user-friendly ad hoc reports and insights is a significant boost to the energy sector of Liberia.

 

Mr. Benedict Kanu, AfDB Country Manager for Liberia highlighted that AfDB has invested about US$300,000 in developing the RDBMS , emphasizing its role in improving data collection, analysis, and stakeholder engagement within the power sector.

“The African Development Bank has not only provided the system being launched today to LERC but has also invested in building the capacity of LERC staff and stakeholders in utilizing and maintaining the system for long-term sustainability”, Mr. Kanu told the gathering at the launching ceremony.

Mines and Energy Minister Wilmot Paye pinpointed that energy is critical for national building and lauded the Bank for its support to the energy sector in Liberia.

For his part, Representative Eugene J. M. Kollie Chairman, Committee on Lands, Mines, Energy and Natural Resources, House of Representatives asserted that launch marks a crucial turning point in efforts to ensure reliable and affordable electricity access for all Liberians.

“A robust regulatory framework is vital for attracting private investments, fostering competition, ensuring quality services, and protecting consumer rights within the electricity sector. And at the heart of such a framework lies accurate data collection, analysis, and dissemination - which is precisely what this database management system aims to achieve”, Representative Kollie averred.