Senator: Those who benefit from power utility’s current system want to keep doing so

Santo Domingo.- Senator Tommy Galan on Monday said he wouldn’t vote for the bill which includes the US$500 million bond for the electricity subsidy, but acknowledged that the piece will be passed because "no pay, no power."

He said the State electricity utility CDEEE’s problem isn’t just e subsidy, but also because in his view the structural and inefficiency problems continue. He said what the government has to do is prepare to negotiate in favorable terms because under the current system many people benefit and want to continue doing so.

The senator for San Cristobal said despite that the CDEEE’s program for 2012 didn’t include any subsidy, US$500 million are already in the supplementary budget, added to US$275 million more in the current budget, and doesn’t rule out any eventually which could arise during the rest of the year.

Galan spoke after a meeting of the Congressional commission which studied the supplementary budget with a US$500 million bond for the CDEEE, whose CEO Celso Marranzini also participated.