FG Sets Up Committee On Distribution Sector Recovery Programme
The Federal Government on Friday, inaugurated a Technical Committee on the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).
Performing the inauguration ceremony, the Honourable Minister Of State, Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, OFR, said that the it will be responsible for the overall monitoring and implementation of World Bank's intervention on identified gaps faced by electricity Distribution Companies, (DISCOS).
The committee which is headed by the Honourable Minister Of Power, drew representatives from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning, NERC, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) and Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Recall that to address the identified gaps faced by DISCOS, the World Bank Board of Directors on February 4, 2021 approved US$500 million for the Nigerian Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, (DISREP).
The programme which is aimed at improving the financial and technical performances of DISCOs, according to Jedy-Agba, "is also designed to provide capital investment as well as finance certain components of the Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) for DISCOS".
The Minister maintained that "as contained in the Programme Assessment Document (PAD) and the Programme Operations Manual (POM), there is need to put in place institutional and implementation arrangements, amongst which is the Technical Committee to be chaired by the Honourable Minister of Power and co-chaired by the Director General, BPE who will also provide the Secretariat".
He added that "DISREP Technical Committee will monitor the implementation of the elements of the Power Sector Recovery Programme (PSRP) and Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) supported by the DISREP. BPE will report to the Technical Committee on the monitoring and verification process and disbursements while NERC will report to the Technical Committee on the overall implementation of PIPs. The Technical Committee will convene quarterly".
While charging members to be committed in the discharge of their duties, he added that "ladies and gentlemen, your agencies/organisation have been chosen based on the important role you play in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry, particularly in the Electricity Distribution Sector. I have confidence in our ability to carry out this assignment successfully".
