On 10th June 2022, the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) hosted the inaugural National Regulators’ Breakfast meeting, a platform for Regulators from different Sectors in Uganda to collaborate and deliberate on National Issues.
The Breakfast meeting was held at the Kampala Serena Hotel, attended by over 21 (Twenty-One) representatives of National Regulatory Agencies including Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), Bank of Uganda (BoU), Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), and Diary Development Authority (DDA).
Officiating at the Breakfast, the ERA Board Chairperson, Dr. Sarah Wasagali Kanaabi, noted that ERA had conceived the idea of creating the Regulators’ Platform with a view of creating an environment where Regulators would collaborate and support each other to deliver efficiently and effectively on their respective mandates.
Dr. Wasagali added that the Platform was intended for Regulators to share knowledge and success stories to sharpen and encourage each other to embrace Regulatory Best Practices for better Regulatory Approaches.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako, noted that the Platform was essential for eliminating difficulties on requests for information from the different Regulators for implementation of activities.
Eng. Waako noted that the collaboration would significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery for the good of all Ugandans, positively contributing towards achieving the Government of Uganda’s National Development Plan III and the aspirations of Uganda’s Vision 2040.
She appreciated the Regulators for accepting to be part of the Platform, noting that the issue of working in silos that create duplication of work and time wastage would be history.
Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka, the Guest Speaker, noted that creating a platform for Regulators to discuss pertinent issues and implement activities in a coordinated manner was more than an asset to the Country as Regulators get to synergize, work effectively, efficiently and promptly for social-economic transformation.
An 8-Member Steering Committee to work out the details of how the Regulators will work together was put in place. The committee comprises representatives of ERA, the National Information and Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U), the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (UNCHE), the National Drug Authority (NDA), the National Planning Authority (NPA), the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Uganda Coffee Development Authority and the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). The committee is expected to present its first report on how the Platform will move forward by July 2022.
