The Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, instructed the Secretary of Energy and the ENRE (National Electricity Regulatory Entity) to apply a million-dollar fine to EDESUR due to repeated power outages, which have affected hundreds of homes in recent days.
The government requested that to company be fined $1,000 for poor service provision. Additionally, the minister demanded that “users who have suffered cuts above the average established in the contract” EDESUR return the entire invoice for the last month.
Likewise, the minister ordered “to enable a claim area for damage to home appliances” after the power cuts to the users of EDESURsince some people were left without the supply for several days.
The head of the Palacio de Hacienda also requested “to launch an oversight with audit, calling on the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) to review the value of regulatory assets, compliance with the investment regime, response times to users and the transmission service quality EDESUR”.
For his part, the ENRE decided to implement a scheme of “Assisted Permanent Inspection”which, as explained by the auditor Walter Martello, will allow them to have “access to its four operating bases and the possibility of supervising the processes of claims and customer service and commercial quality in real time.”
This means that the ENRE will send personnel to the company’s bases to control “in situ” the processes that are carried out to guarantee the provision of the service and to replenish the supply when power outages occur.
Additionally, the Government is evaluating the possible expiration of the company’s concession, since, according to Martello, “contractual breaches are chronic and severe.”
More pressure on EDESUR
While an audit is underway the companywhich will begin next week, the Ombudsman of the province of Buenos Aires requested that the company be investigated for breaches in the provision of the service and to determine “if there was falsification of public information” by the company to justify the cuts.
Meanwhile, the Frente de Todos pressures the Government to withdraw the company’s concession, while the chief of staff of the province of Buenos Aires, Martín Insaurralde, proposed that the municipalities in the area of operation of EDESUR take over the company.
