Lansana Fofanah: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 17 October 2019:
The appointment of Dr. Brima Baluwa Koroma by President Julius Maada Bio to head the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) – an institution that accounts for 15% of the country’s domestic revenue, has brought transformation to the Agency. With a population of 7 million people, and a daily consumption rate of 1.3 million litres of oil products in 2019, the demand for fuel products keeps rising as the country continues to depend on imports.
Regulating an industry with only three petroleum distributors, two importers and one petroleum Jetty, in a country with high demand, comes with surmounting challenges which the Executive Chairman has been able to manage within the short time of his leadership at the PRA.
The appointment was hailed by CEOs of Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s) such as Total SL Ltd, LEONCO, and the National Petroleum. They regard Dr. Koroma as one of their own, who has been in the sector and knows the problems and solution in the industry.
Entering the oil and gas sector with vast banking experience, Dr. Koroma (Photo) after his appointment, held a stakeholders meeting a year ago – 10th October 2018, with Chief Executives of oil marketing companies in the country – a meeting that changed the long-established status quo of doing business as usual.
Dr. Koroma was able to lay bare the mandates of the Agency which includes licensing and regulating the importation, refining, storage, transportation and distribution of petroleum products in a bid to ensure adherence to prices, and effective administration and enforcement of the enactment to downstream petroleum activities.
It is worth noting that, prior to Dr. Baluwa’s appointment, little or nothing was known about PRA as most of the filling stations operate in the country without knowing the body responsible for regulating them.
This led to a nationwide familiarization visit by Chairman Baluwa and team to filling stations across the country, in order to propagate the mandates of the agency, to assess safety compliance and value for money.
Dr. Baluwa has established and laid down professional principles of fairness in the industry for all players which have made the petroleum industry a compelling place for investors to invest, while maintaining health, safety and environmental risk management at all times.
On the 8th of February this year, Chairman Baluwa led Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to a conducted tour of storage and installation facilities of oil marketing companies at Kissy Terminal, Freetown.
The familiarization visit gave the team an insight into the operations of those companies and how the government could contribute to rebranding the industry.
Dr. Juldeh Jalloh was able to identify the huge untapped opportunities in the downstream sector which investors should take advantage of.
Key achievements
As a form of bringing the much-needed reforms, Dr, Baluwa developed petroleum guidelines in December 2018 which covers the construction of gas stations, the importation of petroleum products, trader’s license, trans-shipment, and bulk storage.
The establishment of filling stations in dwelling houses has been totally abolished and the use of bulk tankers for storage facilities in hazardous environments is a thing of the past. The agency has made it a must that before any new station is constructed, there must be an inspection of the site by the agency to ascertain the suitability of the location.
Revenue Generation
From Le475, 282,989,977.46 in 2018, the revenue generated by the Agency is projected to be around Le728, 135.387.963.21 by the end of 2019. Such a big increase has proven that the agency was unable to account for the revenue it generated in the past, thereby causing the government to lose billions of Leones under the past administration.
By all indication, the agency stands to increase such laudable performance in 2020 as more awareness is created.
No Fuel Shortage
Festive seasons in the country were once marred by acute fuel shortages due to artificial scarcity. Seeing this as a challenge to trade and movement of people, Dr. Baluwa has been constantly engaging both the Ministry of Trade and Finance and oil marketers in a proactive move to ensure that there is enough fuel in the country.
The sum of Le2 billion was recovered on behalf of the Government as strategic stock funds which have already been transferred immediately to the consolidated revenue funds.
A strategic stock that has been in the possession of some operators worth Le5.7 billion has also been disclosed.
The introduction of district sales return has helped to determine petroleum consumption by the district which has drastically reduced smuggling.
Reduction of Fuel Price
The introduction of the monthly quote price of oil in the world market by the PRA has helped to position the agency in a better way to determine whether the price of fuel should be increased or reduced.
For the first time in the country’s history, when there was a downward movement of price in the world market this year, Dr. Baluwa pushed for a reduction of pump prices which has never happened in the country.
EIA Fees Negotiation
Dr. Baluwa has not only been paying keen attention to the collection of fuel levies but also ensuring that oil marketing companies get an enabling business-friendly environment.
The Environmental Impact Assessment fees levied by the country’s Environmental Protection Agency continues to be a problem for investors as they consider the charges too high. This has led the Chairman to engage relevant authorities as a way of creating a meeting point where a win-win situation could be created.
Introduction of DMO’s
The smuggling of fuel to neighbouring countries where prices are high has not only deprived Sierra Leone of much needed revenue but also contributed to creating artificial scarcities. As a way of mitigating such menace, the Agency has recruited DMO’s in all fourteen (14) districts in Sierra Leone to support the Agency to enforce its mandate, in terms of price uniformity, anti-smuggling, hoarding, health Safety precautions.
Dr. Baluwa’s desire is to open the market space, improve the industry’s infrastructure and more compliance to petroleum laws and improve revenue generation.
More of it’s kind. Professional institutions at all level of governance is the only answer to real sustainable development in our country! Good work Dr. Koroma and team. Thanks be to God that the days of patronization in governance is slowly becoming a thing of the past!!
Thanks to the tremendous efforts, insights and proactive mobilisations strategies of Dr Baluwa and team to ensure that not only is the essential fuels available daily to the masses but also greatly contributing over 200 Billion leones as revenues to the consolidated funds and ensuring that safety and artificial scarcities of these hydro-carbon fuels are available in the country and at the same pumping prices/rate within this short period of your leadership.
I remove my hat and salute you Dr Baluwa for your patriotic services to the people of MAMA SALONE since your appointment by his Excellency the President when he ascended the throne/mantle of leadership. I/WE in the diaspora are proud to hear/read of men like you in helping to fight poverty, corruption and at the same time maintaining a win-win for both investors and consumers in mama salone.
May the almighty God bless you and your team for your tireless efforts. Please dont seat on your laurels of these short term successes but continue to strive to the fullest and best of your abilities/potentials, as long as you are in that mantle of leadership in serving your people.