As Parliament Enact New Petroleum law…PRA Boss Outline Successes

By Ayodele Deen Cole
The Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) Dr Baluwa Koroma has recently made it no secret of his plans to transform and develop the downstream petroleum sector in the country, following the latest enactment of the new Petroleum Regulatory Act 2025 by members of parliament.
The combined efforts of the PRA Executive Chairman Dr Baluwa Koroma and President Bio have also positioned the country petroleum sector on a path of exceptional growth and stability.
During a recent government press briefing, Dr Baluwa Koroma noted that the new law replaces the previous Petroleum regulatory Agency (PRA) with the newly established National Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
In his statement, Executive Chairman Dr Baluwa Koroma praised President Julius Maada Bio for his visionary leadership and commitment to empowering the youth.
He also disclosed that the previous Petroleum Regulatory Agency was established by an Act of Parliament in 2014 to grant licenses and regulate the downstream sector, adding that over the years, the entity has been lacking the required guidance needed to realize its full potential despite its revenue potential. 
According to Dr Baluwa Koroma, this landmark legislation is designed to oversee the growing petroleum sector with a focus on accountability, transparency and environmental protection.
It also marks a shift in how the country natural resources are maintained and also ensure that the sector is sustainable and beneficial to the development of the nation.
Under Chairman Baluwa Koroma’s leadership, the PRA has restored public trust in the petroleum sector and his dedication to transparency and accountability has led to a significant increase in operational gas stations.
His commitment to improving accessibility and service delivery is evident in the PRA’s strategic initiatives, which include increasing storage capacity to ensure a stable supply of petroleum products and forming strategic partnerships to strengthen market stability amidst global challenges.
While explaining about the new law, the PRA Executive Chairman, Dr Baluwa Koroma also noted that the passing of the new law is as bold step towards managing the country petroleum sector in a way that will maximize the potential of the sector and also minimized the risk of illegal and unregulated activities in the sector.
He also stated that the primary goal of the new law is to give a solid framework to the management of oil, gas and other resources in a good manner.
Highlighting some of the provisions in the new law, Dr Baluwa Koroma noted that one of the key aspects of the new law is the establishment of an independent body tasked with overseeing all aspect of the petroleum sector.
According to him, the new PRA will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with high standards particularly with growing concerns of climate change and other environmental impact.
He also stated that the new law placed strong emphasis on environmental protection and sustainable resources management, mandating that all petroleum activities must adhere to environmental standards designed to minimized negative environmental concerns including provision for oil spills prevention, waste management, and the rehabilitation of areas affected by petroleum extraction.
Another aspect of the new law is the attention on local content development, as companies operating within the petroleum sector now require prioritize the employment of local Sierra Leoneans and also support local businesses in the supply chain.
The PRA boss also stated that the law will add more jobs opportunities in the sector, adding that the law also give them the rights to issue and revoke license for oil companies ensuring that only those who meet the stringent environmental and regulatory requirements that allows companies to operate in then petroleum sector across the country.
In addition, Chairman Koroma has also emphasized environmental sustainability. He has implemented strict environmental standards within the petroleum industry to reduce its environmental impact and ensure adherence to regulatory standards.
The agency reported product consumption split and successfully reviewed petroleum pump prices in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ministry of Finance, World Bank, and other stakeholders.
According to the PRA boss from January to September 2024, petroleum revenues exceeded projections, reaching over NLe 1,757.21 billion.
Additionally, he revealed that Conex Energy has completed the construction of 30,000 MT storage tanks, with 15,000 MT each for petrol and diesel.
With over five years at the helms of affairs at the PRA, the Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA Dr Baluwa Koroma has been able to institute reforms that have helped to sanitize the downstream sector, by restoring investor’s confidence and opening market space for new.
He noted that his management started off by having a relentless focus on three critical areas; Firstly, developing policies to open up the market space, restoring fairness in the industry to all players that will increase sector efficiency and transparency.  
Secondly, by focusing on initiatives to develop the petroleum industry infrastructure to attract new players to look at the possibility of resuscitating our oil refinery, constructing tank farms across the regions, bulk transportation and retailing as this will enhance petroleum product security and affordability and lastly, by enforcing compliance through District Monitoring Officers to the petroleum laws and tax commitments 
Before now, little or nothing was known of the performance of the downstream sector and the untapped opportunities available for investors in Sierra Leone.
However, the PRA boss noted that transparency and accountability are the words of his administration revealing that petroleum revenue under the PRA Chief increased from Le473billion in 2018 to Le753billion in 2020. 
This remarkable achievement was made possible due to robust monitoring and efficient revenue management reforms brought in by the PRA boss and the sector now contributes 15% to the country’s domestic revenue drive.
Responding to where he would want to see the Agency in the future, Dr Baluwa Koroma said that despite the numerous successes at PRA, their focus is to create a viable industry so that every sector within the value chain get the most of their regulatory framework as there is a clear trend towards an improved service delivery sector, maximized economic benefits and improved revenue for the Government. 

There is reportedly an existing dispute among members of the legal profession following the recent launching of a nascent association called the Sierra Leone Law Society (SLLS) at New Brookfield Hotel.
The said association is co-founded by one of the defeated candidates in the recently held Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) presidential election in Kenema District, Augustine Sorie Sengeh Marrah Esq.
Meanwhile, from what The Exclusive has gathered the National Publicity Secretary of SLBA, lawyer Alfred Kamanda has expressed dissatisfaction over the formation of the nascent association as, according to him, is a duplication of the existing association; an action he described as an “un-lawyerly behavior.”
Speaking before the official launching of the SLLS, Lawyer Augustine Sorie Sengeh Marrah stated that one of the main objectives of establishing the association is to advocate on behalf of legal practitioners, ensure that the rule of is followed to the letter, the judiciary remains independent, address issues of national interest and above all, ensure that the welfare of its members is adequately addressed.
Contrary to rumours doing the rounds, he said SLLS is not an offshoot of SLBA. According to him, the ugly drama at the past SLBA election in Kenema necessitated the formation of an alternative association although, he said, the conversation around that had long begun.
He furthered that there is no 100% perfection in any works or services, adding that the SLBA has faced some setbacks in the past which, he said, has witnessed members calling for an alternative association.
SLBA, he added, has failed to intervene in several issues of national interest that require the association’s attention or intervention but that the association and has not lived up to expectation.
According to Lawyer Marrah the SLLC constitution stipulates that a member serving as politician should not hold executive position**
adding that the new association will serves as an alternative to ensure that they provide the gaps in terms on national and international issues that the Bar Association can’t fill in terms of welfare and national issues.
According to him, they have gone through all the legal and other technical process expected of a new association, adding that rumours making rounds that have forge registration certificate and signature are not true.
The Co-Founder of the new Sierra Leone Law Society also noted that unlike the SLBA that is more focus on the welfare of its members who are all lawyers, the SLLS on the other hand is more focus on national issues and ready to take on the government and other partners when it comes to critical issues affecting the ordinary masses.
Responding on the other hand, the Public Relation Officer for SLBA, lawyer Alfred Kamanda stated that they received the news about the launching of Sierra Leone Lawyer Society with mixed feelings as some disgruntle members of the SLBA formed the new association, adding that their registration process is presently shrouded with lots of irregularities as they are presently facing series of challenges with reports of a fake certificate and forge signatures on the new association documentations. However, he noted that the Freetown City Council (FCC) has launched an internal investigation into the latest claims of forgery and fake documentation at FCC.
He also expressed dissatisfaction over the formation of an alternative law association in the country, adding that SLBA is the only law association recognized by the 1991 constitution of the country. According to him, the new association is not an alternative to the SLBA, but understandably a supplemental one.
The SLBA PRO, Alfred Kamanda also noted that they are currently before a high court with some of the Founders of the new association in respect to an election in Kenema, adding that the court has currently placed an injunction on some of these individuals.
Alfred Kamanda further disclosed that the SLBA is proposing to organize an emergency annual general meeting to address some of these latest internal contradictions within the legal profession like double membership and alternative law association operating in the country.