THE Lesotho Electricity Corporation has invited tenders for a three-month consulting contract that will undertake an audit of the parastatal's powersupply network.
The audit is aimed at improving efficiencies in the parastatal's power supply network, particularly for large industrial customers.
The audit is of interest to Eskom, which is trying to position itself strategically while it deliberates on whether to buy a 70% stake in the corporation as part of Lesotho's privatisation process.
The successful bidder would be required to prepare detailed designs, specifications and costs of the electricity supply components. It would have to recommend up to four local and regional suppliers to install such equipment.
The consultants would also have to conduct "a comprehensive meter audit" of the Lesotho Electricity corporation's large customers to determine the status of their installations and identify required upgrades.
Corporation deputy MD Cosmos Gutu said yesterday the audit would also help to identify illegal connections.
Gutu said the corporation's 350 large customers constituted 58% of its sales revenue. Interested parties had until June 21 to submit their tenders .
The Lesotho government has a $28,6m creditline from the International Development Association, the World Bank's lending arm , to assist in the privatisation of its state-owned enterprises.
Meanwhile, the Lesotho government has invited tenders for the controlling stake in its power utility. The privatisation process is expected to be completed by the beginning of next year at the latest.
Eskom said yesterday that it would make a decision on whether to buy a majority stake in its Lesotho counterpart after it completed a due-diligence study of the new company.
If Eskom secures the 70% stake in the Lesotho parastatal, it would have to form the Lesotho Electricity Company in terms of the conditions attached to the sale.
The new privatised company will have a 10-year exclusivity period to roll out infrastructure and connect electricity supplies to the mountain kingdom's rural areas. It will own a number of small hydropower plants, distribution and transmission assets in Lesotho.
Fonte: AIM
