Only four days after ordering an in-depth audit of the Gabon Electricity and Water Company (SEEG), the transitional president announced on Tuesday night, August 27, through the CTRI spokesperson, the provisional administration of the public company that is increasingly mired in difficulties in light of the recently revealed scandal. Having decided to overhaul the current organizational chart, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, who is already planning a reduction in the salaries of future executives, will appoint the new head of the company at the next Council of Ministers. Below is the full press release read by Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi.
Water and electricity are essential needs of man and society. For several years, the satisfaction of these basic needs has become problematic, at the same time as the national operator, the Gabon Energy and Water Company (SEEG) was sinking into a multifaceted crisis leading to supply cuts and load shedding, to the disregard of users whose patience has reached its limits. Beyond the delay in infrastructure, it is clear that the situation of SEEG is first and foremost the result of weaknesses and management errors. Therefore, the President of the Transition, President of the Republic, Head of State, Brigadier General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema decided the following:
1- the placing of SEEG in provisional administration and the appointment of the provisional administrator at the next Council of Ministers;
2- the overhaul of the organization chart with more national verticality and an organization focused on efficiency, simplicity and control with technical profiles;
3- the transition from 51 directors or similar to 14 + 21 divisional directors;
4- renegotiation of the debt with a repayment plan;
5- the digitalization and securing of the entire IT system and the redesign of the customer journey;
6- the creation of a Security and Anti-Fraud Directorate headed by a member of the CTRI;
7- the reduction of the treatment of executives managing the new scale applying to the provisional administration;
8- the establishment of an operation “One Gabonese, one meter” in order to resolve the nagging problem of meter availability;
9- the gradual standardization of meter models to have only one model in the long term;
10- replacement of doubtful meters;
11- the continuation of ongoing audits and investigations.
Furthermore, in order to preserve the interests and social rights of SEEG workers, no reduction in staff is planned and the salaries of agents will not be impacted.
Finally, on August 30, the CTRI will proceed with the delivery of 18,000 single-phase meters and 4,500 three-phase meters. From now on, single-phase meters will be installed at a cost of 70,000 CFA francs instead of 140,000 CFA francs. As for three-phase meters, they will be installed at a unit cost of 120,000 CFA francs instead of 280,000 CFA francs. The installation of meters above these rates will expose the perpetrators to the rigors of the law.
SEEG, our common good, its survival is everyone’s business. This is why the CTRI calls on the company’s staff and unions to be patriotic.
