Sectors of interest aim to derail power plant: Utility CEO

Santo Domingo.- Just days after claiming that the Punta Catalina project cannot behalted because "it’s a demand of the Dominican people," State-owned ElectricUtility (CDEEE) CEO Rubén Jiménez Bichara on Tuesday said "sectors of interestwhich try to politicize the energy project with false criticisms" that heaffirms aim to derail the entry of 720 megawatts into the system around mid2018.

The official didn’t specify the sectorsbehind the alleged intention.

"The electricity issue, and especially PuntaCatalina, has been politicized and we want to affect the image of the team ofofficials that we have the task of contributing to the solution of the nationalelectric problem that has cost so much money to this society," theofficial said.

In a meeting with administrators and executivesof six state energy utilities, the official urged them to "not get distracted"by the political opposition’s alleged push to harm the "most important energydevelopment project," which is at the center of the Odebrecht US$92.0million bribe scandal.

Jimenez Bichara added that for the sectors heaffirms aim to distract the Government’s attention from the electricity sector, "theresponse must be efficient work to offer tangible results that we can show ifwe remain focused on our work."