The much-awaited moment has come for the Utility Regulatory Authority (URA). His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Mauritius has approved the proclamation of the Electricity Act 2005 and the Central Electricity Board (Amendment) Act 2020 effective 10th June 2022. The following supporting Regulations have also been promulgated under the Electricity Act 2005 and have been gazetted on Wednesday, 15th June 2022:
- the Electricity (Safety, Quality and Continuity) Regulations 2022 to ensure the continuity of a safe electricity supply, as per established standards;
- the Electricity (Metering, Billing and Collection) Regulations 2022 to regulate these activities of the Central Electricity Board;
- the Electricity (Licensing, Registration and Fees) Regulations 2022 which concern the licensing activity of the URA once it would start its operations; and
- the Electricity (Transitional Licence) Regulations 2022 to regulate the transitional phase, pending full compliance of the requirements of the legislation by the existing Independent Power Producers and Central Electricity Board.
These Regulations are available on the URA website: https://uramauritius.mu/.
The proclamation of the Electricity Act 2005 and relevant Regulations gives URA the powers to carry its mandate of:
- issuing licences and monitoring the performance of licensees,
- reviewing and approving the electricity tariff proposals through new Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) as well as the final prices charged to consumers,
- mediating disputes between licensees, licensees and consumers, and
- creating regulatory instruments and tools to facilitate the realisation of Energy Transition, by promoting the participation of various players in the sector.
- In addition, the Authority will also facilitate and oversee improvements in the infrastructure network to enable the absorption of Renewable Energy into the grid, to meet the government’s target of 60% by 2030.
The URA’s role is not to undo things that are already working but rather facilitate their improvement. In its process of issuing licences, the URA relies on authorisations and permits which are issued by other authorities.
Consequently, the URA will continue to work in close collaboration with all stakeholders on the Licensing Process and ensure timely and seamless Licensing, thus promoting the ease of doing business.
Since the URA will be rolling out the Licensing Process for the first time while businesses are already operating, several measures have been put in place in the form of Transitional Arrangements to ensure that any concession or PPA and other agreements, which were signed before the proclamation of the Electricity Act 2005, shall remain valid until they expire.
Applicants are required to register on URA’s e-Licensing platform via the following link: http://online.uramauritius.mu/.
In this transitional period, the URA will work hand in hand with operators on a case-to-case basis to ensure a seamless transition into the regulated environment. URA will keep updating stakeholders as we move along in the next step of the licensing process.
