2004News

EDEs in for contract review

The CDEEE’s administrative board has ordered a review of the contract that brought about the buyback of the two electricity distributors, Ede-Norte and Ede-Sur, by the Mejia administration from the Spanish company, Union Fenosa. In addition to examining the terms of those contracts, the CDEEE has also decided to renegotiate the contracts that govern the purchase of electricity from the IPPs (Independent Power Producers), such as Cogentrix, Smith-Enron or Monte Rio. Also to go under the microscope will be the infamous “Madrid Agreement” that fixed the rates per kilowatt to all-time highs. The CDEEE will ask the General Accounting Office for an audit of the operations conducted in the previous administration, with a parallel audit to be performed by an international company contracted especially for this purpose. Finally, an inventory of the two distributors’ assets will be carried out. Radhames Segura, the CDEEE administrator, told reporters from Diario Libre that the electric officials do not have the moral authority to demand the citizenry to pay more for electricity without having revised the contracts that have caused so much trouble. Ede-Norte and Ede-Sur are 98% owned by the government.