Good laugh, seeing is believing. I have been in numerous dirt road barrios where streets have no names, houses have no numbers and don't recall seeing an electrical meter anywhere. In the USA people in need receive welfare, people in need have their utility bill subsidized. I know the DR is not the USA but give the poor people a break. Tax the well to do a little more, tax the expat even more, put a $5 electric bill fee on every tourist entering the country. I have seen my share of Dominicans who have nothing, give me a break if they "steal" electricity.
I absolutely DON'T agree with you
Btw there is Bonogas, Comer es primero, Tarjeta solidaridad, and rumored Bonoluz.
But in many cases where does the money usually end up? Buying up fria at local colmado.
One small (functioning, non leaking) fridge and one TV and 2-3 low consumption bulbs --> maybe a 300 pesos per month bill. At the lowest rate. Considering how Bonogas is done, the government would most likely cover the first 300 pesos of the bill. But the people should be MADE to go to the office and pay the bill, even if it is with a VISA card given by the government. Because it creates RESPONSIBILITY. There's a LACK of responsibility and accountability in the DR.
It's not the same for the government to pay 300 pesos to generators, than it is to pay 300 pesos on a VISA card they give to people (Tarjeta solidaridad) and MAKE the people go to pay their bills. It creates HABITS in people.
The problem is, however, that when government subsidizes electricity directly by making transfer payments to generators, people in poor barrios DO NOT go pay bills, so what happens: talleres and small industrial operations move in to those barrios, because there is nobody that goes to read meters there and disconnect lines for non-payers. So the problem aggravates by industrial operations stealing power this way. If people HAVE to go pay for the electricity (even with subsidized VISA card) then talleres etc have to pay as well, and if not, they get cut off.