Dominican Republic Govt. snubs court order on power plants

Santo Domingo.- Despite the Superior Administrative Court order to halt the call for tenders to build two coal-fired power plants near the southern city of Bani, the head of Dominican Republic’s Electric Utility (CDEEE) on Thursday said the work will continue.

Ruben Jimenez Bichara also blamed the ruling on sectors "which were left out and try to boycott the project." He didn’t identify the sectors.

“Under no circumstance will we stop the process, we call on the sectors to stop attempting against the project, that we will not stop. The country needs it,” the official said.

He said the ruling doesn’t apply to the project at Punta Catalina, and "only refers to the call for tenders."

He called the ruling senseless and an "inconsistency" between the cost approved in the Budget and the cost of the work, which allocated a ceiling of US$1.5 billion when the tender was for US$2.4 billion.

"A US$1.9 b billion project cannot be paid out in one year, or in a yearly budget,” the official said in a press conference at CDEEE offices.