[{"bbox": [114, 130, 1117, 220], "category": "Text", "text": "The institutional capacity of the National Authorising Office (NAO), who administers the 11th EDF NIP and of the Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (RREA) is sufficient for the implementation of this action, which includes significant TA support."}, {"bbox": [114, 231, 1117, 318], "category": "Text", "text": "Energy Policy is the responsibility of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME). The present capacity of this Ministry is very weak and, since the recent change of Government, has led to a substantial replacement of high level staff positions in the Ministry, a learning process is taking place."}, {"bbox": [114, 330, 1117, 418], "category": "Text", "text": "The RREA has an authoritative and strong presence in its mandated area of rural electrification and its capacity, with continuous donor support, is considered reasonably good. RREA's mandate is to facilitate and accelerate Rural Electrification but not to operate as a utility."}, {"bbox": [114, 430, 1117, 546], "category": "Text", "text": "The EU, in coordination with the US-funded Millennium Challenge Account Liberia (MCA-L), is providing substantial TA support to LERC in establishing electricity generation, transmission and distribution regulations and licenses. An exhaustive and transparent regulatory framework to be issued by LERC is essential for attracting private capital into the sector."}, {"bbox": [114, 557, 1117, 614], "category": "Text", "text": "Both RREA and LERC have been very actively involved in the identification of the components of this action, which falls under their mandate."}, {"bbox": [114, 627, 1117, 771], "category": "Text", "text": "KfW (German development bank) has indicated an interest to invest in a floating solar plant on the reservoir of the Mount Coffee Hydropower plant. The telecom company Orange, intends to take up pay-as-you-go (PAYG) distribution of Solar Home Systems in Liberia and is in partnership dialogue with a qualified European supplier on this. Mining and agricultural concessions are providing electrification of the staff households."}, {"bbox": [114, 785, 1117, 902], "category": "Text", "text": "Direct beneficiaries of the project include RREA, the private sector licensees of the mini-grids, the women and girls who will participate to the gender-focused accompanying measures, which are a specific component of this action, and private households and businesses who get an electricity connection. All these individuals are the rights-holders to whom the government is accountable."}, {"bbox": [114, 913, 1117, 1058], "category": "Text", "text": "Indirect beneficiaries of the project will be the entire population residing in the major settlements targeted under this programme and in the scattered rural areas targeted by the parallel Swedish co-funding. They get access to electricity and to electricity powered equipment for productive uses. The potential indirect beneficiaries of this project are in the order of 20 % of the total population of Liberia. All these individuals are the rights-holders to whom the government is accountable."}, {"bbox": [114, 1070, 1117, 1187], "category": "Text", "text": "Particular attention has been given, during the consultations with concerned populations, to civil society organisations (CSOs), women's organisations and others as part of the stakeholders in the Electricity sector Gender Analysis carried out in the preparatory phase and will be given during the implementation of the action."}, {"bbox": [114, 1199, 639, 1229], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 1.5 Problem analysis/priority areas for support"}, {"bbox": [114, 1241, 558, 1271], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Priority areas for support/problem analysis"}, {"bbox": [114, 1282, 1117, 1452], "category": "Text", "text": "The Government's Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development explicitly targets the rural and under-served areas of Liberia. The previous government explicitly requested the EU to concentrate on the under-developed and under-served south-east of the country in several of the 11th EDF sectors of concentration. Gaps in the energy sector are prevalent in the south-east, both in terms of infrastructure availability to support access for the population as well as trained personnel at different levels."}, {"bbox": [114, 1466, 1117, 1614], "category": "Text", "text": "Under the 11th EDF, the EU supports the Government in modernising and enhancing the quality of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offer available to young people in Liberia to ensure the TVET subsector matches existing labour demands and promotes an entrepreneurship culture. The TVET Financing Agreement signed in April 2018 and the related contract signed with UNIDO in August 2018 includes support for skills development for rural"}, {"bbox": [608, 1678, 621, 1697], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "6"}]