New Law Overhauls Electricity and Water Regulation
By Abdul Rahman Bah
On Thursday, 24 July 2025, Sierra Leone’s Parliament unanimously passed the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission Act 2025, ushering in a new era of oversight and accountability for the country’s long-struggling electricity, water, and sanitation sectors. The law, hailed as a transformative step forward, aims to streamline regulation, enhance service delivery, and empower consumers through greater transparency and institutional reform.
The new Act establishes a unified regulatory framework to oversee the electricity and water industries, sectors historically plagued by inefficiency, fragmented governance, and inadequate consumer engagement. Among its key provisions is the establishment of a Consumer Complaint Unit tasked with investigating grievances and holding utility providers to higher performance standards. Additionally, the Commission is now legally required to submit an annual tariff report to Parliament a move widely we
comed by lawmakers seeking greater fiscal transparency.
Presenting the Bill, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Sao-Kpato Hannah, explained that the 14-part legislation is designed to address widespread challenges and improve access and reliability across the country. While the bill enjoyed cross-party support, the debate also revealed long-standing institutional tensions.
Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, Opposition Whip and Chair of the Water Resources Committee, criticized what he described as the Ministry’s lack of engagement with parliamentary oversight. He advocated for separating electricity and water regulation into distinct bodies to improve focus and efficiency, while also calling for better monitoring of water production facilities.
Hon. Kekura Vandi supported the need for structural clarity, stressing that the roles of electricity generation and distribution must be clearly delineated to prevent future inefficiencies.
Hon. Musa Fofana emphasized the necessity of a collaborative relationship between Parliament and the ministries, warning that without mutual respect, legislative progress would be undermined. His colleague, Hon. Ing. Falkah Tengbeh, praised the bill’s consumer protection focus but called for rigorous enforcement to ensure promised improvements are realized.
Deputy Leader 2 of the Opposition, Hon. Aaron Koroma, raised concerns about fire risks linked to weak electricity regulation and the environmental dangers posed by unmanaged plastic waste from bottled water production. He urged for future reforms to more deeply integrate environmental safeguards.
Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, offered a strategic perspective, stressing that the new Commission’s effectiveness would depend on its independence, free from political interference. He called for strong parliamentary oversight to guarantee that public interest remains at the heart of implementation.
Concluding the debate, Acting Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sulaiman Marray-Conteh, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparent and inclusive governance. He acknowledged the concerns raised and assured Parliament that they would be carefully considered during the law’s rollout. He also reiterated the Ministry’s willingness to submit annual tariff reports, enhancing legislative scrutiny and public trust.
As implementation begins, stakeholders are watching closely to see whether this ambitious regulatory overhaul can finally deliver the reliable services and institutional accountability Sierra Leoneans have long awaited or whether old governance bottlenecks will re-emerge to stall progress once again.
