They intend for Pemex and CFE to become public companies again

Enrique Mendez

La Jornada Newspaper
Monday, October 7, 2024, p. 19

The Chamber of Deputies will approve reforms to the Constitution this week so that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) can recover their role as state public companiesand define that the electric company has prevalence in the national market, compared to the private ones.

Also, as Morena anticipated, there will be a vote in favor of changes to constitutional article 28 to resume the right of the State to use railway tracks to offer passenger train service, by granting assignments to public companies or concessions to individuals.

It will be discussed in sessions

Both opinions will be discussed in the sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday and, in the case of the first package, they are changes to articles 25, 27 and 28 of the Constitution, which reverse the figure of companies productive of the State that the 2013 reform imposed on Pemex and CFE during the six-year term of Enrique Peña Nieto.

An analysis carried out by the majority bench explains that the amendment provides that the laws on the matter will determine the way in which individuals may participate in the activities of the electrical industry that are different from those of the public energy transmission and distribution service. electrical. It specifies that such activities In no case will they take precedence over the State public company, whose essence is to comply with social responsibility and guarantee the continuity and accessibility of the public electricity service..

It includes the clarification that state companies dedicated to the exploitation of lithium and the public Internet service will not be considered monopolies under any circumstances. With the adjustments, the concept of energy transition will be incorporated into the Constitution and the guinda party explains that the reform carried out in 2013 did not promote said transition or the generation of renewable energy, which It was just a pretext to generate profits for private (businesses), benefiting from clean energy certificates, long-term auctions and preferential rates in the portage or transportation of electricity..

Trains will be priority for passengers

Regarding the changes regarding trains, this parliamentary group also pointed out that it seeks to declare the sector a priority for national development, and provide that individuals with freight rail transport concessions can obtain new ones for the transfer of passengers.

In this case, it will be added to the Constitution that railways will not constitute monopolies for both passenger and cargo transportation, as they are considered a strategic area.

The concessions or assignments may be granted only by the Executive and, according to Morena, not only will connectivity and reduction of time in passenger train transport be improved, but it will also be promoted. the creation of railway infrastructure to reactivate the economy in geographical areas, such as the southeast and center of the country.