The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) has been rated the best among various water regulators from Eastern and Southern Africa in terms of good regulatory governance arrangement.
“EWURA has excellent regulatory governance arrangements and in many respects could be a continental leader,” says the report by the Eastern and Southern Africa Water and Sanitation (ESAWAS) Regulators Association Peer Review.
The Report’s findings were presented recently in Dar es Salaam at the end of three days ESAWAS’ Annual Conference. ESAWAS is currently composed of seven members which are Water and Sanitations Regulators from Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zambia, Lesotho, Burundi and Tanzania.
Of all, EWURA is the regulatory authority that oversee 130 utilities, the highest number among the block, followed by Kenya 103, Zambia (18), Mozambique (15) and Rwanda, Burundi and Lesotho has one-each.
EWURA, according to peer review has an excellent regulatory governance arrangement due to the fact that the law gives clarity to the roles and responsibilities of the regulator and foster a degree of stability and permanence in the governance and substance of the regulatory system.
The Peer Review further emphasised that among other things, the laws must clearly empower the regulator to establish tariffs, monitor the performance of regulated entities and make rules and subsidiary policy for the sector.
The law, according to ESAWAS peer review, must empower the regulator to fully enforce its decisions, standards, and rules, as well as relevant public policy, and set binding standards in such appropriate areas as technical and economic services quality.
The peer review focused among other things on regulatory governance looking at stability of policies and legislation, financial and administrative independence, accountability, reporting, appeals, transparency and participation that witnessed EWURA complying to
ESAWAS began in 2007 as an informal meeting held among five Water and Sanitation regulators from countries in Eastern and Southern African region to exchange experiences and knowledge on matters related to water and sanitation. Among other objectives of the Association is to enhance regulatory capacity of members to deliver quality and effective regulation to achieve public policy objectives through cooperation and mutual assistance.
In 2009, EWURA emerged the best regulator in electricity, after a Peer Review conducted by the University of Cape Town and involving others regulators from Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia and Ghana.
Also in year 2011, a research conducted by the European Union (EU) indicated that EWURA was the best regulator in Africa in terms of governance, transparency and independence. In June last year, EWURA won an award and trophy as Energy Regulator of the Year Award for Excellence 2015.
The event took place in Dubai at the Annual Africa Energy Forum. Also a report by the Bloomberg News indicated that in 2015, EWURA was leading in Africa for creating conducive environment for investment attraction in the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa.
