By Fatou Sillah
The Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Nani Juwara, told lawmakers on Wednesday that a new electricity meter policy enforced by the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is intended to curb illegal meter transfers that have caused significant revenue losses and operational challenges for the national utility.
Appearing before members of the National Assembly of The Gambia, Mr. Juwara said the policy clarifies that electricity meters remain the property of NAWEC and are permanently assigned to the premises where they are installed. Under the rules, meters cannot be transferred when a property changes tenants, ownership, or customer status.
“The rationale was based on a number of cases where meters were illegally transferred from their current locations to locations that are not known to NAWEC, and they have been illegally bypassed, leading to loss of revenue for the utility,” Mr. Juwara said. “Which is costing all of us, and eventually it will also affect service delivery, so it’s a decision that I think is well thought of.”
Members of Parliament raised concerns that the policy could impose additional financial burdens on new homeowners, who must now pay for new meters rather than reusing those previously installed at a property.
Mr. Juwara said the measure stems from NAWEC’s board-approved electricity meter transfer policy adopted in October 2025. The decision, he said, was also sanctioned by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the country’s energy and utilities regulator, to ensure proper oversight.
When asked whether consumer protection bodies were consulted before the policy was implemented, the minister suggested that the regulator had likely conducted the necessary review.
“If PURA approves it, I guess probably they would have done their homework,” he said.
Mr. Juwara also argued that landlords should bear greater responsibility for ensuring that rental properties are equipped with essential services such as electricity connections. Placing the burden entirely on the utility, he said, exposes it to avoidable financial risks.
“The burden shouldn’t be on the utility; it should be on the landlord to make sure those basic services are provided to their tenants,” he said, adding that stronger rental regulations may be needed to better protect tenants’ interests.
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