In a press conference yesterday, the Mejia administration insisted it holds no debts with the electricity companies. The government says that, on the contrary, the private electricity companies owe the government.
Finance Minister Rafael Calderon during the press conference yesterday, said the government owed US$100.2 million to the power companies, but that the power companies owed it US$107.0 million, for a net debt of US$6.8 million in the state?s favor.
Speaking for the Mejia government, Finance Minister Rafael Calderon and CDEEE administrator Cesar Sanchez said that their records show that Ege Haina owes the government US$6.3 million, and Dominican Power Partners, an AES affiliate, owes US$18.8 million, while AES Andres owes US$2.5 million.
The government accepted that it owes EGE Itabo US$7.1 million, Seaboard US$1.6 million, CEPP US$608,000, Monte Rio Power US$1 million, Palamara-La Vega (Union Fenosa) US$9.8 million and Metaldom US$723,000.
The government alleges an over-billing of RD$458 million, over-billing to clients who cannot be disconnected worth RD$31.2 million, inaccurate readings, non-fulfillment of general payments and non-fulfillment of payments for new substations and those under construction valued at RD$486 million.
The government says that neither AES nor Haina, both partners with the government in capitalized enterprises, have reconciled their accounts with the government. Cesar Sanchez of the governmental CDEEE says, ?This is a political moment that can be used for opportunism.? The DR is in a state of limbo as the Mejia government is outgoing, but the Fernandez government will not be sworn in until 16 August.
In a report on the state of the electricity sector, AES Dominicana noted that the current crisis is due to an accumulation of more than US$400 million in inter-sector debt.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Interamerican Development Bank, Moises Pineda, said on Sunday that there was clearly a lack of transparency in the electric sector.