AfDB delinks itself from JEDCO power shutdown woes

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has distanced itself from recent move by the Juba Electric Distribution Cooperation (JEDCO) to shed power in Juba early this week.

On Monday, JEDCO issued a warning to clients informing them of plan to shed power supply in the city. The distributor said the decision was triggered by reluctant ‘stakeholders’ who have refused to comply in fulfilling their duties to maintain the supply.

But African Development Bank Group, which funded the USD36 million expansion and rehabilitation of the electricity distribution network in Juba, issued a press release yesterday clarifying that it was not part of any decision-making to the JEDCO move.

“This statement is to inform the general public that the African Development Bank Group is not involved in any decision-making regarding power shedding in Juba, South Sudan’s capital City,” AfDB said in a statement.

“The African Development Bank Group wishes to clarify that the Bank has played no direct role in power generation in Juba and is not involved in any matters concerning the operation and maintenance of the electricity distribution network in South Sudan,’’ it added.

The bank’s USD 38 million project was primarily financed through a grant, and implemented by the South Sudan Electricity Corporation-the power utility created by the government under South Sudan’s Ministry of Energy and Dams.

JEDCO purchases bulk power from Ezra Construction and Development Group (ECDG) in foreign currencies and sell it to consumers in local currencies. The government is obliged to convert currencies into dollars to enable continuous power supplies to the clients.