Chairman Energy Governance Coordination Group, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, met with staff at the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) at EDSA, as part of efforts to cascade the all-important message of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio to various entities within the energy sector, on the need to maximize potentials and enhance service delivery.
He spoke about the composition of the recently constituted Energy Governance Coordination Group (EGCG), noting that the President had tasked him with the responsibility of chairing the Group and superintending over deliberate and constructive reforms in the energy sector, in line with the vision of the President.
“We are all equals here. I act on behalf of the President. That role is a little different. It is about results; it’s about solving problems and meeting targets, while also making sure that we avoid reputational damage,” he said, noting that he was committed to helping filter the correct information or facts to the President.
He said the energy sector was in a crisis, but assured that with professionalism, hard work, collaboration between and among sector players and commitment, giant strides aimed at correcting the ugly situation could be taken.
“I had to ask to see the PIU because the President normally gets a lot of feedback concerning projects in the sector,” he noted.
Project Coordinator at EDSA, Alexandra Nikolic, gave updates on many projects, including but not limited to the ESURP and RESPITE. He gave detailed explanations of the statuses of these projects concerning financing and implementation.
Mr. Nikolic spoke about the challenges that are associated with project implementation, and thanked donor partners, particularly the World Bank, for their support.
“When projects are perfectly implemented, donors get confidence,” he concluded.
With the energy sector and the Feed Salone agenda being inextricably linked, reforms continue in the sector.
