DMRE needing to account for delays to energy reform

The processing delay of the Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill that came to light last week seem to be appalling. Because of the apparent administrative bungling, the bill has not been properly tabled at parliament by the department of mineral resources & energy, so it has not started the process through committees to become law.

It was back in March when the bill was approved by the cabinet, so the delays are inexplicable and unacceptable. It is an urgent piece of legislation that is central to the joint efforts of business and government to solve the electricity crisis. The bill is meant to allow for the creation of a Transmission System Operator to manage the national grid and procure electricity from a competitive market.

This bill is the main key to attracting the investment needed to expand the capacity of the grid. It will be creating a level playing field for all generators of electricity, both private and public. This is the fastest way to get new electricity onto the grid at the lowest cost.

Currently, there are a number considerable risks that the bill will not be made law before the end of the year, and even possibly before elections next year. When the new bill was properly tabled last week as soon as the problems come to light, it was improperly submitted in April. If it been done correctly, we would be closer to solving the electricity crisis.

In parliament, the mineral resources & energy committee in parliament has a full agenda, making it difficult to process the bill through required public consultations in time for the year-end break.