The executive vice-president of the State Electricity Company (CDEEE), Celso Marranzini, called out the residents of the Santo Domingo residential area known as Puerto de Hierro (Iron Gate) yesterday. He said that many customers there are consuming lots of electricity but claiming to be poor, and that while 4.3% of customers are consuming over 700kw/h of electricity per month, 37% are paying invoices of up to 200kw/h per month, just like in any poor barrio with Bonoluz.

Marranzini talked about this situation yesterday during a press conference at CDEEE headquarters. He said that the corporation was losing RD$7,000,000 a year in that area alone. He asked why 102 customers in the upper-middle class area where houses have pools, air conditioners and other equipment typical of a high-income standard of living, could qualify for Bonoluz subsidies. He said that a study he commissioned showed only 12 customers consuming more than 700kw/h of energy, and three are late in paying their bills. According to the energy supplied to the residential area, Ede-Sur should have collected RD$17.6 million but only received RD$9.8 million, a RD$7.7 million loss. As a result of a meeting with residents on 24 April, Ede-Sur promised to provide 24-hour service once losses are reduced by 15% and they filed lawsuits against the people committing fraud.

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