14 Nov 2019

Botswana Energy Regulation Authority (BERA) and Competition Authority (CA) have November 13, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The MoU is aimed at assisting both authorities in executing their mandates and ensure that services in the energy sector are provided in a competitive and non-discriminatory basis.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, BERA chief executive officer, Ms Rose Seretse revealed that it was imperative that they entered into such MoU with Competition Authority so that they may assist each other in stimulating competition in the energy sector.

“It will ensure that consumers of energy services are protected and that all competition barriers in the energy sectors are removed.

These will be achieved by sharing of information, joint investigations, consultations, research, referrals and capacitation of employees for both authorities,” she said.

Ms Seretse further said the collaboration was a huge milestone in the discharge of both organisations’ mandates such as investigations and collaborations  in all other matters that shall be of relevance to them and to the benefit of the nation of Botswana.

Competition Authority chief executive officer, Ms Tebelelo Pule said her organisation and BERA would both facilitate issues of shared or concurrent mandates between the two of them to obviate the need for forum shopping and duplicating regulatory efforts.

“This MoU is an efficient platform of cooperation, through it we will need technical expertise on energy related matters from BERA whenever the CA is seized with energy mergers, competition investigations in energy-related sector in order to make informed determinations,” she said.

Meanwhile, both the organisations are confident that the MoU would go a long way in ensuring that their customers’ needs were addressed through expeditious referrals. ENDS