Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi asked government agencies to settle their debt with electric cooperatives and distribution utilities.
Data showed that defense and law enforcement agencies had unsettled obligations of P17 million with power utilities.
“Being part of the government, we need to be earnest in pursuing energy-resiliency and efficiency. In order to attain our energy goals, it is important that we are all able to uphold our commitment to our stakeholders and service providers,” Cusi said in a statement.
The department, through a memorandum signed by Undersecretary Alexander Lopez, coordinated with the respective heads of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard and National Bureau of Investigation on the settlement of delinquent accounts payable to distribution utilities and electric cooperatives totaling P17 million.
“As we’ve been pushing for massive electrification, energy efficiency and security of the country, I am pleading on behalf of the distribution utilities, including the electric cooperatives, for the concerned government institutions to settle their outstanding accounts. DUs and ECs collect revenue to generate cash flow that would enable them to provide efficient and sustainable services to the areas they serve,” Cusi said.
Cusi said the unsettled payment could lead to weak and unstable operational performance. This also implied that DUs and institutions were negligent in their collection mechanisms, he said.
Data from the National Electrification Administration showed that 23 ECs had outstanding unsettled accounts from Northern Luzon to Caraga.
Cusi assured the public that his department would closely monitor the accountability of the DUs and government institutions in fulfilling their respective obligations.
Cusi earlier urged electric cooperatives to offer areas they were unable to serve to other power companies to ensure the provision of electric service.
“We cannot wait for the Filipinos to wait forever. There are efficient cooperatives, there are inefficient cooperatives. Are we going to allow the Filipinos to suffer because of inefficient cooperatives? I don’t think that is right,” he said.