Santo Domingo.- The organizationCentro Bono on Sunday said the lack of transparency, “ghost contracts" andharmony among the various sectors have become hurdles to the proposed energypact between the Dominican government and society.
"if these factors are not solved the chances ofreaching an agreement with broad support from labor and employment, socialpolitical and business sectors, are unlikely." said Bono director RoqueFeliz.
"We need improved internal coordination from governmentand corporate actors to surmounting the disagreements by providing the requiredinformation for transparency of the plans, to clarify the noises and ghostcontracts," Feliz said.
He said the government must show its willingness to sincerelycoordinate and negotiate the electric pact, and release the required informationwith transparency, while avoiding the dissonance from government actors takingpart in the pact, by unifying criteria and official positions.
The talks leading to the electric pact are currently stalled,hobbled by the lack of trust among participants after the State-owned electricutility –CDEEE- refused to release an audit for 2012, 2013 and 2014, as the commissionersof the Economic and Social Council (CES) demand.
He said he utility has also refused to disclose its plansto expand the energy generation business, as evidenced by the “ghost contract”scandal proposal to build more coal-fired power plants linked to the PenegyCommercial Group, which despite being a company with no experience in theelectricity sector or financial roots in the country, was contracted without acall for tenders.
"This is a twisted blow of effect which contaminates theatmosphere of trust that should prevail in a process of strategic consensus,"Feliz said.