Government electricity monopoly?

[NewsWhore]

The Dominican government has a virtual monopoly on the power sector in the DR. As reported in Listin Diario, the government owns the generators, distribution companies, the transmission network and is in charge of regulating the sector through the Superintendence of Electricity. But it is also in charge of ensuring the buy and sell operations with the independent generators. "This means that it is partly responsible, together with the companies, for the difficulties and the deficiencies in the system," according to the report. Reporter Denisse Cepeda makes the point that the government is the absolute owner of EdeNorte and EdeSur power distributors, which have 70% of the market, and 50% of EdeEste. Likewise, it owns all the hydroelectric power plants that generate about 480MW, and the transmission lines. Moreover, the government also has 50% in the shares of the Haina company, together with EgeHaina that contributes 663 megawatts and the same 50% in Itabo generation plant that contributes 50%, with the remainder belonging to the AES Corporation.
A National Business Council (CONEP) report by economists Ramon Flores, Isidoro Santana and Eduardo Garcia Michel, presented in June, says that one of the basic problems of the power sector is the institutional weakness, given the conflict of interest created by the dual role that the government plays in the system.

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