The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has criticised the government and the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) over the ongoing electricity crisis, accusing authorities of failing to deliver on promises to ease widespread power outages by mid-June.

In a statement signed by Sulayman Camara, Secretary General of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the party said residents of the Greater Banjul Area, West Coast Region and rural communities continue to endure prolonged blackouts despite assurances that the country’s 50 per cent power deficit would be addressed by the middle of the month.

The CCC said the outages are affecting households, hospitals and businesses, with many small enterprises struggling to cope with rising generator fuel costs and some reportedly laying off workers.

NAWEC has attributed the crisis to the loss of 60 megawatts of imported electricity, describing it as a temporary regional challenge. However, the CCC rejected that explanation, arguing that the situation reflects years of poor planning and inadequate investment in domestic energy generation.

The party further questioned the country’s reliance on imported electricity and called for greater transparency regarding reported financial obligations to regional energy suppliers, including SENELEC and Karpower.

Calling for urgent action, the CCC urged NAWEC and the Ministry of Energy to provide the public with a comprehensive update on the state of the national grid and a clear roadmap for restoring stable electricity supply.

“Access to stable electricity is not a political favour; it is a paid public right,” the statement said.