Government will pay generators US$568 million this week
CDEEE says threat of a suspension of service has been "unnecessary"
Argénida Romero
SANTO DOMINGO. The executive vice president of the Dominican Corporation of State - owned Electricity Enterprises (CDEEE) assured reporters yesterday that "starting next Thursday" the generators will begin to receive payments for a total amount of US$568 million, which will lessen the debt with this sector which is over US$1.12 billion.
In a press conference at the CDEEE headquarters, Ruben Jimenez Bichara said that with this payment they will be at "an optimum level" with regard to the debt with the generation sector, and that this payment process will conclude before 17 December.
He said that for more than a month there have been carrying out negotiations in relation to this payment, so that he called the warning of difficulties in electricity service for this reason "an unnecessary threat".
Jimenez Bichara added that since the beginning of his administration in August 2012, they have paid the private electricity generators more than US $5.0 billion, an amount which he called "an astronomical sum."
In a supporting note handed out to reporters, they said that from 1 January until now they have paid a total of US $1.568 billion to the generators.
Last Monday the Dominican Association of the Electricity Industry (Adie) said that from September to November the accumulated debt with the generators had climbed from US$905 million to US$1.0 billion.
They complained that in 2014 they have billed the electricity distributors nearly US$1.5 billion for the sale of energy, and have only received payment of US$1.1 billion, and they reiterated that they were close to the limit of their capacity to buy fuel on credit in order to continue maintaining their generators on line.
New tenders
The official reported also that they would soon open public tenders for contracting electricity generation given the expiration of contracts with several companies starting in January of next year.
He said that at the present time they are working on the criteria of these tenders in order to call on companies in the area, but he did not specify the opening date for the tenders.
He noted that among the contracts that were expiring in January 2015 is that of the San Felipe generator, located in Puerto Plata with a combined cycle facility which produces 180 MW.
Electricity pact
With regard to the Electricity Pact, Jimenez Bichara said that they are discussing the outline of the basic document in order to carry out the logistics of the roundtables that will discuss the issies.
In a press conference at the CDEEE headquarters, Ruben Jimenez Bichara said that with this payment they will be at "an optimum level" with regard to the debt with the generation sector, and that this payment process will conclude before 17 December.
He said that for more than a month there have been carrying out negotiations in relation to this payment, so that he called the warning of difficulties in electricity service for this reason "an unnecessary threat".
Jimenez Bichara added that since the beginning of his administration in August 2012, they have paid the private electricity generators more than US $5.0 billion, an amount which he called "an astronomical sum."
In a supporting note handed out to reporters, they said that from 1 January until now they have paid a total of US $1.568 billion to the generators.
Last Monday the Dominican Association of the Electricity Industry (Adie) said that from September to November the accumulated debt with the generators had climbed from US$905 million to US$1.0 billion.
They complained that in 2014 they have billed the electricity distributors nearly US$1.5 billion for the sale of energy, and have only received payment of US$1.1 billion, and they reiterated that they were close to the limit of their capacity to buy fuel on credit in order to continue maintaining their generators on line.
New tenders
The official reported also that they would soon open public tenders for contracting electricity generation given the expiration of contracts with several companies starting in January of next year.
He said that at the present time they are working on the criteria of these tenders in order to call on companies in the area, but he did not specify the opening date for the tenders.
He noted that among the contracts that were expiring in January 2015 is that of the San Felipe generator, located in Puerto Plata with a combined cycle facility which produces 180 MW.
Electricity pact
With regard to the Electricity Pact, Jimenez Bichara said that they are discussing the outline of the basic document in order to carry out the logistics of the roundtables that will discuss the issies.
Argénida Romero
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