WINDHOEK: The Southern African Regional Electricity Regulators’ Association (RERA) will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Namibia early November when the association also holds its 9th annual general meeting (AGM).
RERA chairperson Phindile Nzimande announced at a media conference here on Thursday that RERA’s 10th anniversary celebration will take place from 5 to 9 November 2012, coinciding with the association’s AGM which will be held in Windhoek.
She said the regional association intends to use the 10th anniversary to review its performance over the past decade, and to re-launch the association into the next decade.
The anniversary will also serve to help ensure that the association is able to foster closer relations with its members and key stakeholders in order to improve its corporate image and visibility in the region.
During the celebration, the regional electricity regulators’ association will recognise and award individuals who have made valuable contributions to the industry over the past decade.
Topics to be discussed during the conference will include electricity markets and cross-border power trade, mitigating electricity deficits in the region, tariffs, the status of renewable energy procurement in the region, the quality of supply and service, consumer protection and investment opportunities.
The conference will be attended by representatives from international and regional regulatory organisations, SADC governments’ officials, representatives from the Southern African Regional Energy Distributors (REDs), local authorities and delegates from the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) in the RERA member countries.
RERA was established in Lesotho on 12 July 2002 by Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers responsible for energy, as a formal association of electricity regulators.
The official launch of RERA took place in Windhoek on 26 September 2002.
RERA’s vision is to ensure a consistent and harmonised regulatory framework in the energy sector within the SADC region.
It also facilitates the harmonisation of regulatory policies, legislation, standards and practices, while also providing a platform for effective cooperation among energy regulators within the SADC region.
The nine SADC member states that are members of the association are Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania.