The deputy ombudsman of Buenos Aires, Walter Martellowas appointed by the Minister of Economy Sergio Massa to serve as comptroller of the National Electricity Regulatory Entity (IN RE), as confirmed this Sunday by the leader of the Renovating Front to Télam.
In this framework, he said that with this objective he will request a license from the Ombudsman’s Office to be able to focus “exclusively on the task of starting up the reform of the ENRAND”.
In this way, Martello will replace in the position to Maria Soledad Manin.
Martello said that he faces “the enormous challenge of fair rates and companies that meet their investment commitments and respect us as users.”
I was summoned by the Minister of Economy @SergioMassa to assume as Auditor of the ENRE, entity of control of the service of electrical energy.
I know of the difficult time we are going through and the importance of guaranteeing the transparency of companies’ actions ?? pic.twitter.com/zYIYRR1ho1— Walter Martello (@WalterMartello) August 28, 2022
He stressed that “if they do not comply, the companies will be denounced” and stated that, for this, “once in office, we will do the structural modificationss necessary in which we are already working”.
Later, in a series of tweets, Martello stated: “I know the difficult time we are going through and the importance of guaranteeing the transparency of the companies’ actions. For years I have been questioning the poor provision of the service and the balance sheets of the electricity companies.”
“I am aware that, in many cases, the claims of users are not even heard and their rights are violated,” he continued.
He maintained that he is clear that during the current administration “they have determined significant fines and the payment of compensation” and analyzed that “these are resources that, many times, do not reach the most vulnerable sectors of society.”
“I have spoken with the Minister about the need for a reform of the body aimed at the accessibility of claims. With that objective, together with my team, We study comparative experiences of immediate compensation in the event of service failures.or”, he completed.
“I know of the difficult times we are going through and the importance of guaranteeing the transparency of the actions of the companies. For years I have been questioning the poor provision of the service and the balance sheets of the electricity companies.”Walter Martell
“The objective is to create conditions to help the Regulatory Entities of public services guarantee the rights of users in an uncompromising manner, whatever the company, without distinction of owners and/or shareholders,” he said later.
In addition, he stated that he will work “for that each peso paid in electricity rates has a correlate in investment and efficiency” and pointed out that his conception “is that there are no clients but users of an essential service”.
Thus, Martello stressed that “he will use the legal tools” and that he will put “all the personal and group effort to go towards a quality service, with the centrality in the users and not in the profits of the companies”.
“We will not hesitate to go to court if the situation warrants it,” Martello continued, adding: “Companies must understand that you cannot move towards first-world rates with third-world services.”
“For us, the controversy over the asymmetry of interests has already been settled by the Justice from the Court’s ruling in the Cepis case,” he concluded. In this way, he was referring to the collective amparo action presented by the Center for Studies for the Promotion of Equality and Solidarity (CEPIS), as a result of which the Court annulled in 2016 the increase in gas rates with respect to users. residential.
Martello was a Buenos Aires legislator, a councilor in Esteban Echeverría, Legislative Deputy Secretary in the Chamber of Deputies and vice president of the Buenos Aires Youth, Addictions and Violence Research Institute.
