SANTO DOMINGO.- President Leonel Fernandez yesterday told the new members of the governing boards of the companies to manage the power lines (ETED) and for hidroelectric generation (EGEHID) that the electrical topic is currently the country’s greatest challenge.

Fernandez spoke during the swearing-in of the members in the National Palace. Most of aren’t members of the ruling PLD pary, among them Reynaldo Rincon, an ex member of the opposition PRD party, former Police chief Camilo Antonio Nazir Tejada, and the ex- governor of the Central bank Jose Santos Taveras.

Dominican State Electrical Corporation (CDEEE) executive vice president Radhamés Segura said that the high prices of oil will have a devastating impact in the price of electricity and just to keep the bill to customers stable, the Government will have to obtain between US$100 million and US$120 million this year.

 He said that the price per kilowatt hour will rise around three cents of the dollar. "We are going to meet this month with the President and the sector to propose a series of additional measures to what we have been doing to try to mitigate this strong impact which the rise in prices of petroleum in the international markets has."

As part of the efforts, he mentioned the renegotiation of contracts with the companies Smith & Enron, Itabo, Dominican Power Partner and with Haina.