‘NAWEC lacks capacity to supply customers in GBA, WCR’

The affected residents, who were speaking during a recent interview with The Point, lamented frequent power cuts and water shortage, something they believes, is even discouraging potential investors in the country.

Alhagie Bayo, is a resident of Kanifing South and for him the utility company challenges are due to lack of corresponding investment in transmission and distribution.

The government of The Gambia, he said, should encourage the energy companies from other countries to come and establish in the country so that NAWEC would have a competitors in the energy sector.

“The company is not having any competitors in the country that is why they are doing what they feel like, because we have even understand that the meter reading machine for water in Banjul is not working and as a result of that people are faced with challenges to pay their water bill,” he said.

Mariama Kujabi, a resident of Kololi acknowledged that the objective of the government is to provide electricity and water to the entire communities across the country, but the government is lacking from that perspective because some of the areas within the Greater Banjul Area will not have supply of electricity and water for some time.

A West Coast Region resident, Lamin Jadama, indicated that his region comprises large settlements, an area with high energy demand.

“The demand for electricity is very high and some areas are there without no electricity and potable drinking water. We are hearing the OMVG project from the government maybe if that project is finish the electricity problem will be a thing of the past in the country,” he said.

He thus called on the government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Energy and NAWEC to act swiftly and address the energy shortage in the country.

“It is a fact that without stable electricity supply it will be difficult to bring investors to come and invest in the country.”