The Management of the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) has disconnected the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) over non-payment of electricity bills exceeding Le2 billion.
According to investigations, the action followed several unsuccessful engagements by EDSA with NCRA’s management to settle the outstanding arrears.
In the interest of fairness, accuracy, and balanced reporting, Vantage Newspaper made efforts to contact the management of NCRA. A formal letter was also sent to the Director General requesting a response to the allegations, but no official reply was received at the time of publication.
Sahr Nepor, Public Relations Officer of EDSA, contacted the Head of the Commercial Section, who confirmed on the telephone that NCRA owes billions of leones. She added that efforts are still ongoing to engage the institution to settle the debt.
Meanwhile, a senior NCRA staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that the institution is a subvented government agency.
“We receive quarterly allocations to support the operations of the institution. However, we are currently facing constraints in accessing funds from the Ministry of Finance. We have engaged EDSA’s leadership, and I am confident that this matter will be resolved as soon as next week,” the source explained.
The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) of Sierra Leone, established by the 2016 National Civil Registration Act, is responsible for the permanent, compulsory registration of citizens and residents. It manages civil events births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and adoptions to maintain a central, secure National Civil Register, issuing biometric ID cards and unique identification numbers.
Since 2019, the institution has been generating billions of leones in revenue for the Government of Sierra Leone.
The government needs to find solutions to resolve the issues to ensure the smooth running of the institution.
