The officers of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative proposed a dialogue with members of Task Force Ceneco that will be created by the province, to discuss issues for purposes of transparency in the transactions entered into by the coop.
Ceneco Board President Jojit Yap said her group welcomed a meeting with the different sectors in order to clarify issues of alleged over-contracting and overpricing.
“The new members of the Board have nothing to hide and we want to explain the decision to lower the contracted power with Kepco-Salcon,” Yap said, adding that they also want to clarify the computation made in the agreed price with the power provider.
Yap said she was informed by the province of the plan, and that the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City might conduct an inquiry through the Committee on Energy.
Earlier, the consumers group Power Watch Negros also welcomed the creation of Task Force Ceneco.
Power Watch Negros secretary-general Wennie Sancho commended the proposed creation of the task force by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.
“This is a welcome development for the advocates in the power industry, particularly in our campaign against over-contracting, overpricing, and other forms of graft and corruption in electric cooperatives in order to keep the rates of electricity just and reasonable,” Sancho said.
The recommendation to create a task force came after business group leader Frank Carbon presented their apprehension over the renewed contract with Kepco-Salcon, during a Provincial Development Council meeting last week at the Capitol in Bacolod City.
Power Watch thanked Lacson for recognizing the vital issues in the power industry which affect the lives and livelihood of the people amid the pandemic, and the efforts of former Gov. Rafael Coscolluela, the provincial consultant on Energy and Development Concerns.
The group said it believes that the issue of unabated increases in the prices of electricity hounding the electric cooperative should be brought into the light for public scrutiny. — MML
