The accumulated debt of the electrical distributors with the generators has reached US$85 million (RD$2.4 billion). According to reports, however, the CDEEE will announce a payment plan for these amounts this Tuesday. Rafael Calderon, the Minister of Finance who presided over the extended meetings between government officials and representatives of the generating facilities, said that the generators were willing to work towards a solution to the energy crisis that is affecting the country as a whole. Several top officials of the generation companies said that the government was taking appropriate steps to solve the problem. Both Jose Manuel Paliza of Monte Rio and Rolando Gonzalez of EGE-Haina agreed with the government’s position.
Hoy carried headlines that said the blackouts were worsening while El Caribe published two articles that offered a more positive stance. One of these said that the generators and the government are on the same page and they quoted Jose Manuel Paliza as saying that the government would be able to count on the IMF and the World Bank to assist in the financing. The second article said that there had been fewer blackouts because Itabo II returned to service at 106 megawatts, as did Haina II, with 44 megawatts. Only 54 of the country’s circuits were down on Saturday, and the energy deficit, which had surpassed 400 megawatts during the week, was contained at 133 megawatts.