Hacienda Minister Donald Guerrero says that the government has plans to sell up to 50% of the shares of the Punta Catalina thermoelectric center that is under construction in southern Peravia province. The Odebrecht-Tecnimont-Estrella consortium is the company charged with constructing the plant.
Guerrero made the statement when visiting Congress prior to the passing of the 2019 National Budget. The Presidency had submitted the National Budget with a chapter whereby it sought the budget to serve as authorization to the Executive Branch to issue and place public debt bonds for up to RD$190 billion and a loan for US$300 million with the Inter American Development Bank to be used as contingent financing for natural disasters within the debt taking contemplated for the 2019 National Budget.
Guerrero said that the bonds would replace a request for authorization for government assets sale without specific congressional approval. The government has valued the thermoelectric power plant at US$2.017 billion. Odebrecht is demanding an additional US$708 million in an arbitration court case heard in New York. The 752-megawatt coal-fired power plant is scheduled to enter into operation in 2019.
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Diario Libre
Noticias SIN
El Dinero
13 December 2018
