Liberia: LEC Sets Up Temporary Vending Sities in Wake of Digital Vendor Outage
The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has set up its Waterside, Bushrod Island Headquarters offices, and the Anti-Power Theft campaign site at the Duport Road Baptist field in Paynesville as a temporarily rendering sites for customers.
Last week the power utility company informed the public that the LIBANGO vending platform, used to purchase tokens, was experiencing technical issues.
“The Liberia Electricity Corporation regrets to inform its valued customers and the general public that the LIBANGO vending platform used by customers to purchase electricity tokens is currently experiencing technical difficulties. As a result, customers are unable to buy electricity tokens from the LIBANGO vendors or through digital platforms (Orange Money, MTN Mobile Money, TipMe or Ecobank Mobile App),” LEC wrote on its facebook page.
In a press release on August 29, 2023, LEC said the sites will help to minimize the impact of these vending challenges on customers and other electricity consumers.
“LEC has set up temporary vending points at its Waterside Headquarters, Bushrod offices, and the Anti-Power Theft campaign site at Duport Road.”
According to the release, the stop-gap measure was implemented on Sunday and will be expanded to meet the public’s needs until Libango’s challenges have been fully resolved and regular vending resumes.
“The Libango vending platform has faced significant technical challenges over the past four days. This has hindered customers from buying electricity tokens from Libango vendors or through other digital media such as MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, TipMe, and Ecobank Mobile App.”
The statement added that LEC has also commenced arrangements to expand its temporary vending locations to reduce the time customers travel to these locations or wait in line to be served. In parallel to the above, we are exploring other options, such as mobile money operations and banking platforms.
“We shall inform the public through the news media and our website and social media platforms about these additional locations and vending options as soon as arrangements have been concluded. However, we assure the public that LEC is also working very hard with Libango to restore normal vending operations.”
“We apologize sincerely to our cherished customers for the inconvenience caused by these technical challenges.”
The Liberia Electricity Corporation has been has gained some public confidence due to its robust strife against power theft. In Novermber 2022, LEC launch power theft taskforce headed by Mary Broh to crack down on those illegally connecting to the grid.
That exercise which led to a surge in “legitimate connections” compelling hundreds of residents in Paynesville and its surroundings to paid a fine of U$50 for power theft, and get a brand new meter.
“We are now at US$1.35 million,” Adolphus Scott, LEC Senior Communications Manager told the Daily Observer in January 2023, just three months after the taskforce was launched. But with the technical issue face with the LIBANGO vending platform, many fear that residents would revert to power theft. Unlike before where there were so many vending stations, now people from Paynesville and its nearby communities have to assemble at either the Waterside or the Duport Baptist points to purchase their tokens.