Make the Beninese private sector competitive by streamlining the procedure for connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small and medium-sized industries (PMI) to electrical energy. This is the new reform implemented at the Beninese Electric Power Company (SBEE). It was exhibited to an audience of private sector actors this Friday, February 28, 2020 at the Novotel Hotel Orisha in Cotonou through a cocktail reception of exchanges initiated by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance and that of the ‘Energy.

The main points of the reform specially designed for SMEs and SMIs are:

• the reduction in the number of procedures for connection from 5 to 3,
• the dematerialization of the connection request on the SBEE web portal,
• setting the number of connection days at (30) thirty days but above all,
• the implementation of free electricity connection for SMEs and SMIs with consumption needs of a power of between 140 and 160 kva.

In addition to these measures, there is the establishment of a service regulation between the Energy Regulatory Authority (ARE) and the Beninese Electricity Energy Company (SBEE) to monitor the performance of the SBEE and ensure the quality and reliability of the service it offers and the monitoring of statistics on electricity outages are available and can be consulted on www.sbee.bj and www.are.bj .

This reform underway at SBEE is the result of the government’s manifest desire to raise a large mass of Beninese companies and industries through the improvement of the business climate. “The SBEE wants to be a business carrier for the improvement of the quality of life of the Beninese population”, confided the Commercial Director of the SBEE, Michel Bergarmin for whom, the challenge of the optimal supply of electrical energy of Benin can be raised because, he says, they will accomplish the objectives assigned to them. “We receive the connection request online and six days later, we present you a quote, if you agree we connect you in 30 days,” he added.

Closing the meeting, the Technical Advisor for the follow-up of reforms of the Minister of the Economy and Finance, Mr. Illias Sina, reminded the audience that the issue of energy is a concern at the heart of the government of the breaking up. “The structural transformation of our economy depends on the availability of electric energy, which is why it is one of the government’s strategic axes,” he said. Electric power in Benin, he continues, has been available since the major reforms took shape. Thus, power cuts have significantly decreased since the installation of the Maria Gléta power station, which provides continuous energy. “If production is improved, we will work on the quality of the distribution,” he said. The phase of the qualitative distribution of electrical energy by SBEE is now underway with the reform for the benefit of the private sector, which is now relieved of connection costs for power capacities between 140 and 160 kva.