PLD demands questioning of Edes administrators over electricity billing hikes
The Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) caucus of deputies has formalized a request before the National Congress to interpellate the administrators of the three electricity distribution companies (Edesur, Edenorte, and Edeeste). This measure arises as a response to the wave of citizen and commercial complaints regarding disproportionate increases in electricity service charges.
Deputy Charlie Mariotti Paz, spokesperson for the initiative, emphasized the urgency for the responsible officials to explain the technical criteria applied to the calculation of current bills. According to the legislator, there are critical cases where users who usually paid moderate amounts have received bills ranging between twenty and forty thousand pesos, a situation that is severely impacting the economy of households and the commercial sector.
It is time for them to be held accountable for their various administrations. In this Government there have been six administrators and it is time for them to explain to us what they are doing with the money.
Charlie Mariotti Paz, PLD deputy.
Key points of the audit request
- Financial transparency: Legislators are demanding a detailed breakdown of the use of state subsidies and the destination of international loans intended for the energy sector.
- Suspicions of irregularities: Mariotti Paz recalled previous statements by Celso Marranzini, president of the Unified Council of the Edes, who in the past warned about irregular increases in billing, suggesting that these practices could be replicating in other distributors.
- Call to Joel Santos: The opposition bloc maintains expectations regarding the management of Minister Joel Santos, whom they plan to formally invite to Congress to discuss the energy crisis once the appearances of the distributors’ administrators conclude.
The situation has generated an intense debate in the chamber. While opposition legislators denounce that the increases are unjustified, representatives of the ruling party have acknowledged the variations in the amounts, attributing them at times to changes in the population’s consumption habits.
For his part, Minister Joel Santos has reiterated that the Government is not contemplating an adjustment to the electricity tariff at the moment. Likewise, the authorities have announced an investment projection of nearly 300 million dollars for the year 2026, focused on the modernization of distribution networks and the reduction of losses, with the aim of optimizing the quality of the electricity supply throughout the country.
