PURA ‘aware’ of public outcry over basic services

Speaking at a day-long Strategic Review Compliance Forum for service providers at a local hotel in Bakau, Mr Jobe said that part of their role as a regulatory branch of the central government is to create the needed environment for the survival of businesses.

He added that PURA also offers affordable and quality services for public consumption, which he said is sacrosanct. “The regulator works hard to balance the equation and ensure fair play and equity,” he assured.

He acknowledged that they need to improve performance and uphold the very core values of their enterprises for the public good.

In his presentation on the Rationale for Compliance, Malamin Darboe, the director of Human Resources at PURA, said the need for compliance is to protect entities from offending the laws and the risks of losing customers and being bankrupt. He added that compliance prevents the happening of avoidable accidents and injuries.

According to Mr Darboe, a lack of compliance can lead to severe consequences sometimes for the regulated entity and even the staff or the public.

Alieu M. Ngum, the chairman of PURA Board of Directors, said non-compliance only breeds an atmosphere of distrust and low confidence and to a large extent encourages a care-free attitude that “fundamentally opposes” the dictates of regulatory compliance ambitions.

He said the laws governing the operations of utility service providers are promoted for a purpose. “It makes it necessary to support and protect the merits of laws for the common good of society,” Chairman Ngum added, saying: “Effective regulatory instruments shape economic development and strengthen the rule of law

“The principal core of the stakeholder dialogue is to take stock of their service performance, strengths, and challenges to adopt a holistic approach and chart a road map to addressing issues of compliance.”