A Bill that seeks to establish the legal, economic and
institutional basis to promote the use of renewable energy resources was on
Thursday unanimously approved by lawmakers during the fourth meeting of the
2013 Legislative year. Tabling the Bill before deputies, the Energy minister,
Teneng -Ba Jaiteh, reminded them that access to adequate, reliable and
affordable energy is fundamental and necessary for the attainment of national
developmental objectives as enshrined in the Programme for Accelerated Growth and
Employment (PAGE) and the Vision 2020. The minister opined that there cannot be
any meaningful and sustainable development without sustainable energy supply.
She said energy supply is not an end in itself but a means as supporting social
services such as education and health.
"The Gambia currently depends heavily on the use of
wood and charcoal and, fossil fuel to meet its energy requirements. Electricity
generation in The Gambia is mainly dependent on fossil fuel (heavy fuel oil and
diesel), which is the most expensive mode of electricity generation, especially
for an oil importing country like The Gambia," she stated.
She observed that the frequent fluctuation of international
oil prices over the years has seriously affected the operations of NAWEC. This,
she lamented, forced NAWEC to purchase fuel at increasingly high prices taking
up to 50% -60% of its revenue. This situation, she said, is even "more
alarming" for its provincial operations where the mode of generation is
diesel- based generating sets. "Even though electricity tariffs are high,
they are not reflective of the real operational costs, thus making the
situation unsustainable," she told the deputies.
The Gambia, according to Minister Teneng- Ba Jaiteh, is
blessed with a lot of renewable energy resources such as the sun, wind and
bio-energy, which if properly harnessed and effectively utilised would help
increase the access rate to modern energy. This, she posited, would also
provide alternative source of energy, "which is a more sustainable and
environmentally-friendly source of fossil fuel". She observed that
unfortunately, the renewable resources are under-utilised mainly due to lack of
legal and regulatory frameworks, limited human resource capacity and limited
access to finances. "Lack of legal and regulatory framework has resulted
to sales of sub-standard renewable energy products such as solar PV modules,
solar batteries, poor installation of renewable energy systems, and, low
investments in the renewable energy sub-sector," she further indicated.
Thus, she reaffirmed that that the Renewable Energy Bill
seeks to promote the development and sustainable use of renewable energy
resources to achieve greater energy self-sufficiency and thus reduce the heavy
dependency on fossil fuel and the unsustainable exploitation of forest
resources to support the socio-economic development activities of The Gambia.
"The Bill would also regulate the quality of imported
RE (Renewable Energy) product and the installation of RE systems; establish a
Renewable Energy Fund to support research and utilisation of Renewable Energy;
provide incentives for both grid and off-grid renewable electricity systems
making them more attractive to both domestic and commercial entities;
contribute to the achievement of the regional decisions adopted in Accra
regarding the ECOWAS Regional Renewable Energy Policy; develop a well
structured and regulated RE market that would help promote private sector
participation in energy generation using renewable," she indicated.
Seconding the Bill, the National Assembly member for Tumana
Constituency, Hon. Netty Baldeh, described it as "non-controversial",
affirming that it seeks to promote environmental protection and increase the
use of renewable energy in the country.
Hon. Sainey Mbye of Upper Saloum said the Bill was very
timely, noting that it will benefit the people particularly the rural dwellers.
"It is innovative, supportive and commendable," said Majory leader
and NAM for Serrekunda East, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, who also commented on
the marked improvement by the government in providing electricity to Gambians
compared to the First Republic.
No comments:
Post a Comment