Remo Bolognesi: “These are costs that really alarm society because it becomes impossible or difficult to pay for the service”
The national government made official the removal of subsidies from energy rates that came into effect as of June 1, medium and low-income users will pay for energy with the new rate values established by the Nation. Likewise, the resolution of the National Energy Secretariat contemplates the reduction of subsidized consumption limits.
In this context, the head of the La Rioja Single Privatization Control Entity (EUCOP), Remo Bolognesi, stated that “the removal of subsidies from vulnerable sectors is already evident in the first resolution that began to take effect in February and that It had a huge impact for users. Now, with this new measure, which follows this guideline, it impacts not only those who we consider to have a regular income, but also those with medium income and the most vulnerable.”
Also, he explained: “they first established a new provision of subsidies in a resolution from the Ministry of Energy of the Nation and then with a subsequent resolution establishing the new market values for the wholesale electricity market that took effect as of June 1, 2024. Since the last resolution, which was already questionable, there was an increase of more than 150% at a general level, but there are levels where we are talking about 570%, 800%. These are costs that really alarm society because it becomes impossible or difficult to pay for the service.”
Furthermore, he highlighted that “our governor has continually demanded the sending of funds and even with these restricted funds he has been facing these incalculable increases. Period by period there is a difference between 4 thousand and 5 billion pesos and now greater with this new increase where it is absorbed by the province and is not transferred to the user, this must already have an end point. The Nation must raise awareness because it is putting all users in a coma and compliance will be impossible.”
Likewise, he commented that the Nation has been ignoring the province’s requests regarding energy costs, “the only answer we have is ‘no’ and we turn around and there are already new increases that are alarming.”
On the other hand, he explained that in the low-income segmentation, Level 2, where low-income and electro-dependent users are found, they paid the price of a mega $2,980, while today that segment begins to pay $57,000 and they will only subsidize 350kw at that price. “The Governor’s decision is that we work on all areas related to the energy system, this madness in some way we have to see how we stop it,” he indicated.
Finally, he mentioned: “a residential user without a subsidy went from paying 24 thousand pesos per mega to 44 thousand in February and now with the new provision it went to 71 thousand pesos per mega.”
Bolognesi explained that the generation of an electron always involves a very high cost, “now the State has always been a bellows through subsidies to prevent these values from being transferred to the user, today that mechanism that has been carried out is being transferred its very high cost to the user, that is the problem we have, beyond the inflationary effects.”
