After the United States government provided US$300,000 for the construction of the new National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters in Monrovia, as well as technical support, the Government of Liberia (GOL) has again dedicated the customer service center of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), West Point, with the US government providing US$500,000 (five hundred thousand US dollars) through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to overhaul that section of the corporation.
On Thursday, April 8, 2021, the government, along with the US embassy, dedicated the refurbished service center of the LEC which, according to report, has been a major impediment in the relationship between the LEC and its customers.
A survey conducted by the US embassy in 2016 when the MCC was launched revealed that female entrepreneurs were asked about the difficulties they faced in accessing electricity to generate income, and nearly all of them named poor customer service; when asked what changes would be necessary to enable them to use electricity in their businesses, nearly all of them asked for a more responsive customer service so that they could acquire and maintain working connections to the power grid.
With this feedback, the U.S. Government provided US$500,000 to rehabilitate the LEC’s Customer Service Center, including improving upon the existing structure and providing furniture, equipment, training, and vehicles to strengthen service to LEC’s customers.
The reconstructed facility, according to the US embassy, now has a comfortable waiting area that now accommodates over 100 customers, new offices for LEC staff, a call center equipped with better technological tools for tracking customer problems, additional rest rooms, and facilities for physically challenged and disabled persons.
Speaking at the dedication ceremony, the US Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Michael McCarthy said, “It is an honor to participate in today’s dedication of this center, a project which underscores the strong partnership between Liberia and the United States, and the American people’s broader investment in this country’s electricity sector through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, USAID, and Power Africa.”
He added, “The United States shares Liberia’s hopes and joins its efforts to secure a more prosperous tomorrow for the Liberian people. Keys to that prosperity are inclusive economic growth, investing in people, and rule of law.”
Also in remarks, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah, on behalf of the Government of Liberia (GOL), thanked the government and people of the United States for supporting Liberia’s development drive, and emphasized the government’s commitment to continue partnering with the United States to foster the traditional ties between the two nations.