Former ministers and former commissioners of the Creg reject, in a letter, statements by Minister Omar Camacho

According to the letter, the energy minister said the following: “The expertise of the @comisioncreg was captured by the market”; “The decisions were made that ratify the tariff framework that we have today. How did we get the entire tariff burden to reach the users?” and “we need trained people who don’t let themselves be bought.”
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​For the former officials, the statements of the current portfolio manager “lack foundation; They are disrespectful to all experts, advisors and members of government that we have passed through the Creg in the last three decades and threaten the good name of said institution”.

Furthermore, they pointed out that “the difficulties that the sector currently faces require a properly formed, independent and strengthened Creg, that adopts decisions with a long-term vision and guarantees the confidence of investors to advance the large investments in new infrastructure that the country requires in the expansion of energy generation, transmission and distribution, which ensures reliable and efficient supply to the entire population.”

Regarding the tariff regime, the signatories of the document point out that the regulation has ensured that the collection made by the agents providing the service is in efficient conditions, “giving signals to make the required investments, improve the quality of servicereduce losses and ensure continuous and reliable attention to demand.”

They add that where there is a natural monopoly, such as transmission and distribution, “the regulator sets rates under the legal principles of efficiency and financial sufficiency, which among others are defined for this purpose, using appropriate and recognized methodologies used in regulation. of the energy service at an international level, in public and transparent processes”.

In that same sense, they ask the minister to dedicate himself to solving the great challenges of the electricity sector.. They name five specific items:

1. Delay of more than 10 years in the development of networks that make it possible to meet the growing demand in the country, especially in La Guajira and the Bogotá area and its surroundings.

2. Sufficient availability of gas for thermal generation without compromising the security of its supply.

3. Real attention to the requests of Coast users with contributions from the national budget.

4. Avoid a firm energy deficit in the coming years due to project delays.

5. Give signals that generate legal security and confidence to encourage making the large investments that the sector needs in order to ensure the supply of energy in the short, medium and long term.

Finally, they point out that the idea is not to carry out insulting disqualifications, but rather concrete actions that are the product of a solid institutional framework and the regulations of an independent and technical Creg.

“The problem of the sector cannot be resolved by destroying a constitutional, legal and regulatory model which is an international benchmark, and recognized for the development of a solid electricity sector structure“, efficient and quality,” the letter reads.