Ezra Power Plant at Kondokoro, where JEDCO distributes power from is limited to Juba only. (Photo: Eye Radio).
The Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria State has raised concerns over the JEDCO power service, citing high electricity tariffs and poor implementation that allegedly fails to meet the needs of Juba city residents.
Speaking during the launch of South Sudan Energy Access Project, Paulino Lukudu Obede criticized the high cost of electricity.
He said the tariff remains unaffordable for the majority of residents, despite the state government providing land for the project free of charge.
“The project of JEDCO power, though the state government cooperated with the national government to give land free of charge, it has not captured the interest of our people as we speak,” he said.
“It is starting with the high tariffs. Our people cannot afford to buy electricity this expensive, even if we produce oil as a country. The majority of the population who live within the city now have access to electricity in their offices, whether private offices or government institutions, but many are not using this electricity.”
“And I even doubt if the hall that we are using here is using the JEDCO power. I doubt this. I believe they are using their own generator oil, simply because of this tariff.”
When contacted, JEDCO’s Communication Officer Joseph said he will respond to the deputy governor’s statement at the appropriate time.
Mr. Lukudu also criticized the state of street lighting in Juba, revealing that out of over 5,000 installed streetlights, more than 4,000 are non-functional.
This is despite a $3 charge collected from electricity consumers for streetlight maintenance.
“As we embark on the beautification and the modernization of the city, it works with electricity. There are streetlights. We have over 5,000 streetlights in Juba, and over 4,000 of them are working.”
“JEDCO is even asking the Central Equatoria state government to pay for electricity, while we are aware that there is 3 dollar taken from everybody buying electricity for the streetlights.”
“How can our people pay for the streetlights, and there are no streetlights working in Juba? We have the poles, we have the streetlights, but they are not lighting the streetlights. 4,000 of them are not working while we pay for these streetlights. What is happening.”
He emphasized the importance of streetlights for the beautification and modernization of Juba, but lamented that the current implementation falls short of expectations.
Deputy Governor Lukudu also pointed out that the installation of electricity poles in Juba lacked proper consultation with the state government.
He noted that poles have been erected randomly, sometimes within private plots, due to the absence of a master plan.
The Deputy Governor urged better collaboration between JEDCO, the Ministry of Energy and Dams, and the Central Equatoria State government to address these issues and ensure proper planning for the expansion of electrification in Juba.
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