Ghana’s Economic Regulator, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) hosted this year’s African Electricity Regulatory Peer Review and Learning Network (PRLN) from April 17 -21, 2023.
The five-day programme saw the participation of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Electricity Regulatory Institutions from Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Uganda, and South Africa. Regulatory experts and lead energy researchers from the Power Futures Laboratory, based in the University of Cape Town, South Africa, also participated.
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.
The programme, which is hosted under the auspices of Energy Industry Captains, is supported by the University of Cape Town (UCT) Power Futures Lab, in collaboration with the European Global Energy Transformation Programme (GET-Transform). The programme in Ghana comprised a one-week comprehensive review of the energy sector, which focused on engaging and interviewing major stakeholders (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; the overview of Ghana’s power sector; the strategic & policy environment; the regulatory governance and performance as well as regulatory substance, and impacts. The PRLN, which is rotational among the countries represented on the team, noted that, African electricity regulators can best learn from each other and improve on their performances through the conduct of periodic in-depth peer reviews of the electricity regulatory systems in each selected country.
The objectives of the PRLN among others is to enhance leadership and management capability among African electricity regulators leading to increased credibility, transparency, and robustness of regulatory decisions. It is also geared towards enhancing the overall investments and development outcomes through improved performances of the continent’s electricity industry.
The Peer Review and Learning Network in Ghana comes at a time when Ghana’s Electricity Regulatory Framework in 2022, was adjudged by the African Development Bank as the fourth (4th) best, improving three points from the previous 7th position in 2021 on the African Continent. This exercise was carried out across a number of key metrics by the African Development Bank’s Electricity Regulatory Index for Africa.
The Chief Executive Officers present at the programme were: Dr. Ishmael Ackah (Public Utilities Regulatory Commission, Ghana), Ing. 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).
