President Leonel Fernandez issued Decree 4-05 declaring the recovery of the power system of national interest. The President created a committee to seek solutions to the financial deficit affecting the sector, as reported in the Listin Diario. The decree is issued a day after the government agreed to make a US$65 million payment on arrears for past due debts. The financial deficit is the main cause of the blackouts. Secretary of the Presidency Danilo Medina will serve as liaison for the government. The action plan for the sector’s recovery and its monitoring is the responsibility of the Secretary of the Presidency. This office will work closely with the Superintendence of Power, the Dominican Corporation of State Electric Enterprises (CDEEE), the National Energy Commission, the Ministry of Finances and the Presidency’s energy advisory unit. Other members of the committee are the chief executive officers of the power distribution and generation companies.