By Austine Luseni
Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has said that his experience and engagement with the energy sector have made him learn that energy is a critical driver of sustainable national development.
Dr Jalloh was speaking on the final day of a two-day national dialogue on climate resilience and energy transition, where stakeholders brainstormed on energy transition investment plans and green growth.
“Today, I will tell you clearly that my experience and engagement with the sector over the years have indicated that energy is more than an enabler; it is the most important vehicle to deliver sustainable development,” Vice President Juldeh Jalloh said, adding that energy was also key to unlocking development opportunities.
He said the SLPP government had inherited huge electricity debts in 2018 that weighed seriously on the national budget, noting further that the challenges in the sector had imposed a huge strain or stress on the economy, with specific reference to slowing down businesses and development.
Vice President Juldeh Jalloh spoke about the huge strides that the government had made to improve access to reliable and sustainable electricity but warned that if the country was to be put on a viable development trajectory, a transition needed to be made from utility energy to productive energy.
He praised President Julius Maada Bio for his genuine commitment to achieving green growth aspirations and sustainable renewable energy.
“The biggest challenge today is the resources to make investments. I, however, want to believe that this dialogue that has brought all the talents and key experts across the world to come here to think and to share perspectives holds promise for this challenge,” he concluded.
Deputy Minister of Energy l, Dr Eldred Taylor, praised the efforts of the Vice President in supporting the realisation of the vision of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio in the areas of energy, food security, human capital development and infrastructure. He spoke about the Vice President’s trip to Ivory Coast on the instruction of President Bio, where he acquitted himself admirably in the CLSG negotiations.
