The DR needs to enact legislation to make the theft of electric service a crime, according to Anibal Mejia, Vice-President of AES del Este, one of the three new private companies that control electrical distribution in the country. The company has thus far invested US$40,000 in new equipment and debt service reduction. "Stealing electricity is not regarded as a crime," he said, "but those who pay their bills are being cheated by those who don’t."Mejia, who was interviwed by El Siglo, stated that last August, when AES took over the 66 circuits that distribute electricity to 240,000 homes, business and institutions in the country’s eastern third, over 50% of the electricity was being pilfered. AES has managed to reduce that figure to 40% over the past nine months, he said.
