Minister of Finance Jose Lois Malkum told reporters yesterday that the World Bank has said that the pending loan of US$250 million dollars is vital to the conclusion of the reform process currently in progress in the electric sector. Malkum said that an official of the World Bank told him that there were concerns about the high level of fraud in perpetrated by consumers in the electricity sector and also about the financial situation of the distributors. The World Bank official said that it was a ?life or death? situation for the country because of the many obligations contracted by the government. Malkum said that the bank is also very interested in the settling of accounts of Edenorte and Edesur, which have nearly repaid all debt, and Edeeste, which started yesterday. Hoy newspaper says that the second condition for granting the loan is the elimination of fraud on the part of the consumer. The World Bank also requires a business plan for the hydroelectric plants and the transmission lines of the CDEEE (the former CDE), which will demonstrate that both entities are financially viable. Several other points were mentioned, including the plan to reduce blackouts and the problems with the Cogentrix plant in San Pedro de Macoris.