The coalition insisted that the time to act against these vices was now, while citing the controversy surrounding the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and PEC-SL Company Limited as a casestudy of corruption with impunity.
Chairman of the coalition said the public remained concerned over the ‘electricity impasse’ and wondered why is the Energy Minister bent on terminating the PEC contract ‘even though the local company judiciously executed the six-month pilot phase meter contract to the admiration of the general public, local and private investors and members of parliament among others.’
According to Sao Lamin, the coalition has critically and extensively studied the impasse in the energy sector and called on the anti-corruption commission to investigate indications of corruption on the part of the minister.
He noted the following as being part of the coalition’s findings in the matter under review: That PEC-SL pre-financed the purchase and installation of the smart meters; that the company installed a total of 286 meters within the contract period; that the company has in store additional 714 meters awaiting installation; that EDSA was satisfied throughout the contract with the performance of PEC and openly commended the company for a job well done; that EDSA’s complain of PEC not being transparent is untrue; that EDSA’s claim that the smart meters are not STS compliant is lame; that the EDSA management never met with PEC to discuss issues emanating from the joint EDSA/PEC-SL report; that EDSA Board had endorsed PEC-SL’s performance and hitherto given PEC company the green light to continue with the roll out of smart meters prior to the order of the energy minister halting the process; and that the parliamentary committee on energy had ordered a hold on the matter but that EDSA is currently removing the smart meters and replacing them with old ones.
The Civil Society Alliance on Energy Sector-SL has recommended that the minister and EDSA meet with PEC-SL management to resolve the issue.
They further warned EDSA to halt what the coalition considers as unlawful removal of smart meters, and to reinstall the matters being removed.
The coalition called on the directorate of the local content policy to intervene to protect and promote the local PEC enterprise.
Chairman of the coalition expressed consternation over what he described as rampant corruption everywhere, and announced their intention to sue EDSA on behalf of the people of Sierra Leone on ‘fraud in electricity tariff’.
