Government discusses improper charges on electricity bills.

The Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote by April 4th on two bills that promise to cause controversy; according to the leader of the PP party in the Chamber, Deputy Eduardo da Fonte (PE), the leaders of the parties in the government's base have reached an agreement to vote on the draft legislative decrees that oblige electricity concessionaires to reimburse consumers for amounts charged irregularly between 2002 and 2009, and the repeal of the National Traffic Council (Contran) regulation that mandates the use of driving simulators for driver training by driving schools.

February 18, 2014, 19:39 PMUpdated May 27, 2019, 08:51 AM

The Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote by April 4th on two bills that promise to cause controversy; according to the leader of the PP in the Chamber, Deputy Eduardo da Fonte (PE), the leaders of the parties in the government's base have reached an agreement for the voting on the draft legislative decrees that oblige electricity concessionaires to return to consumers the amounts charged irregularly between 2002 and 2009, and the repeal of the National Traffic Council (Contran) regulation that requires the use of driving simulators for driver training by driving schools (Photo: Paulo Emílio).

Pernambuco 247 - The Chamber of Deputies is expected to vote by April 4th on two bills that promise to cause controversy. According to the leader of the PP party in the Chamber, Deputy Eduardo da Fonte (PE), the leaders of the parties in the government's base have reached an agreement to vote on the draft legislative decrees that oblige electricity concessionaires to reimburse consumers for amounts charged irregularly between 2002 and 2009, and the repeal of the National Traffic Council (Contran) regulation that mandates the use of driving simulators for driver training by driving schools.

The first bill proposes suspending a ruling by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) that denied refunds for overcharged consumers on electricity bills between 2002 and 2009, due to an error in the methodology used at the time. Because of the high sums involved, the Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies, André Vargas (PT-PR), requested more time to assess the impact of the matter.

"The draft decree on electricity could have a billion-dollar impact on government accounts and the cash flow of concessionaires. This at a time when you have a moment of tension in the (energy) sector due to lack of rain," the parliamentarian emphasized.

According to the Minister of Institutional Relations, Ideli Salvatti (PT), "These matters are deeply controversial. Therefore, the leaders (of the parties supporting the government), by consensus, decided that we will deepen the debate, bringing in those responsible, the ministries, the bodies that have accumulated knowledge on this issue. We have already drawn up a schedule of meetings that begin next week, with a deadline to conclude this debate by the beginning of April," she stated.