IPMEWS: The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has announced an ambitious plan to expand electricity access nationwide by increasing customer connections by 74 percent by 2028.
However, the plan has sparked widespread debate over the company’s reliability, high tariffs, and service delivery challenges.
According to LEC, the number of registered customers currently stands at 355,803, but power outages, low voltage, and uneven distribution remain common, especially in rural communities where thousands still rely on generators and candles for light.
Speaking recently at a public hearing in Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties, Thomas Gonkerwon, LEC’s Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services,
said national electricity consumption is projected to rise by 154.7 percent from 374 million kilowatt hours in 2025 to 953 million kilowatt hours in 2028 alongside a 61.4 percent increase in demand.
While the corporation portrays this as progress, consumer advocates and civil society organizations warn that such targets are meaningless without tangible improvements in power stability, transparency, and customer service.
“Expanding customer connections without addressing generation capacity, theft, and revenue loss is like pouring water into a leaking bucket,” energy analyst Samuel Johnson told journalists.
“The numbers sound impressive, but the system still lacks resilience and accountability.”
At the same hearings, the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) disclosed that it is reviewing a new tariff proposal submitted by LEC one that could significantly impact households and small businesses.
Under the proposed structure, the Social Tariff for low-income users would drop by 13.3 percent, while Non-Residential Prepaid and Postpaid Tariffs would rise by 9.1 percent, and Medium Voltage Tariffs would increase by 5.3 percent.
LEC argues the adjustments are necessary to offset rising operational costs, including fuel and maintenance. But critics insist that tariff hikes must follow visible service improvements not precede them.
More than 200 participants, including civil society groups, local authorities, and business owners, attended the hearings. Many expressed frustration that LEC’s policies do not reflect the experiences of ordinary consumers, particularly in rural Liberia.
“LEC rarely announces power outages in advance. Our equipment gets damaged, and there’s no compensation or accountability,” one resident told journalists in Bomi County. “We’ve been hearing promises for years, but nothing changes.”
LERC Commissioners Amara Kamara and Atty. Kla Toomey assured citizens that consultations will continue in Grand Bassa, Margibi, Rivercess, and Montserrado Counties before any final decision is made.
The tariff review is expected to conclude by December 8, 2025, with any approved changes taking effect on January 1, 2026.
Despite several donor-backed energy projects, Liberia’s electricity penetration rate remains one of the lowest in West Africa with less than 30 percent of the population connected to the grid.
Analysts say LEC’s projection mirrors a recurring pattern of “optimistic planning with limited follow-through.”
Liberia’s power sector continues to struggle with outdated infrastructure, management inefficiencies and heavy reliance on imported power from the CLSG regional transmission line.
While the government continues to promote reform efforts, critics say the sector remains a major bottleneck to economic growth and job creation.
As the tariff review deadline approaches, Liberians are calling for more than lofty projections and statistics they demand reliable, affordable, and transparent power delivery.
Until those issues are addressed, many say, the LEC’s pledge of “Light for All” will remain little more than a slogan. By Amos Harris
