In a letter to Temer, Northeastern Governors criticize the privatization of Eletrobras.
In a document sent to President Michel Temer this Tuesday (5), the governors of the Northeast warn that the privatization of Eletrobras could condition “for decades any project or action that requires water from the São Francisco River”. The governors also emphasize that measures announced by the Federal Government, “especially the suspension of the quota system, will have as an immediate and inevitable consequence a significant increase in the energy bill of Brazilians”
Ceará 247 - The governors of the Northeast signed, this Tuesday (5), a document that warns President Michel Temer about the restructuring of the Brazilian electricity sector. In the document, the heads of the states indicate, for example, that the changes will lead to an increase in the electricity bill for Brazilians. The revision of the Legal Framework of the sector and the deregulation of the energy market were also analyzed by the managers.
The message was signed by the governors Camilo Santana (Ceará), Paulo Câmara (Pernambuco), Renan Calheiros Filho (Alagoas), Rui Costa (Bahia), Flávio Dino (Maranhão), Ricardo Coutinho (Paraíba), Wellington Araújo (Piauí), Robinson Faria (Rio Grande do Norte) and Jackson Barreto (Sergipe).
In the document, the governors emphasize that the measures announced by the Federal Government, "especially the suspension of the quota system, will have the immediate and inevitable consequence of a significant increase in the energy bills of Brazilians." They also state that "the transfer of operational control of the Eletrobras System power plants to private investors, particularly those managed by the Companhia Hidrelétrica do São Francisco (Chesf), will condition for decades any project or action that requires water from the São Francisco River," which cannot be done, given that the northeastern states are experiencing a water crisis.
"Recently, with the start of operations on the water transfer canals to Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Pernambuco, it has become evident how important it is for the region to allocate water for purposes other than generating electricity," they emphasize.
Privatization
The heads of the Executive branch make it clear that they are against the privatization of Eletrobras and its related companies. They propose solutions to the problems in the sector, such as excluding Chesf from the Eletrobras group, "transforming it into a public company linked to the Ministry of National Integration," and maintaining the concession contract for the quota-based power plants, "whose term ends in 2043."
(With information from the Government of the State of Ceará)