South Sudan’s Minister of Electricity and Dams Jema Nunu Kumba said the government is seeking to hire private companies to run the country’s electricity system.
“I wanted to assure you that we are working very hard and even trying to get the private sector to partner with us and even to run the current power station in Juba and get meters in order to guarantee the collection of the revenue,” Kumba told reporters outside parliament Monday.
She said recent power blackouts in Juba are due to lack of money for buying fuel because nonpayment of fees by customers left the ministry without enough resources to manage its system.
However, the minister said for the ministry has received fuel from Nilepet Company and will operate its generators for three weeks starting on the first day of July so that people can celebrate 9 July Independence Day with electricity at home.
“Our generators are available,” Kumba said. “You are aware that last week a lot of people were enjoying electricity. That was because we are given funds to overhaul eight machine and we operate six.”
War delays Fula Dam
Separately, Minister Kumba said the war is the reason why there is a delay in completion of the Fula-Nimule project meant to generate power for Juba from the Fula Rapids on the Nile.
The project was to be funded by Norway but has been put on hold since the start of the war. As part of the Troika, Norway has held back donations to South Sudan’s government which is one of the warring parties.
The minister said that as soon as there is peace they will move forward with a 42 megawatt project at Fula.
“This is the small project which is for a short term solution for the power problems in Juba and other towns along the Nile from Nimule to here, nut our ultimate goal is develop a Grand Fula with has the capacity of 890 mega watts, this can meet our needs and we can also export part of it to East Africa,” she said.
Jema Nuna Kumba, Minister of Electricity and Dams, speaks to reporters in her office. (Radio Tamazuj)