Officers loyal to Cristina continue to hold key positions in the Energy sector

Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner continues to control the Energy Secretariat in the energy distribution of the ruling party. Businessmen and officials working in that sector commented on Friday. Energy is in the orbit of the Economy, which Sergio Massa will now control.

For his part, the Secretary of Energy, Darío Martínez, hopes to be confirmed and confirm the course with his new boss, Massa. Energy is an addiction dominated by the bishops of vice president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, headed by Federico Basualdo.

Martínez has advanced in recent days with new values ​​in the gas bill. It involves the gradual removal of subsidies in that service. Former minister Silvina Batakis had instructed Martínez to proceed with the segmentation of electricity and gas tariffs. More than seven million families have filled out a form to keep benefits. Gas bills will increase by at least 150% if subsidies are removed.

Martínez must now instruct regulators to implement these new rate charts. This task will be up to Federico Bernal, controller of Enargas, and Soledad Manín, controller of Enre, who cut out the Edenor and Edesur tariffs.

Enre’s management tends to move in harmony with the ideas of Basualdo, undersecretary for electricity. Basualdo was Enre’s controller. The increase in electricity would reach 300%, according to comments from companies.

Although silence prevails among energy officials, in the government they say that Vice President Fernández de Kirchner will maintain his influence through the “Federicos” (Basualdo and Bernal), with particular emphasis on the former.

Massa has said privately that he wants updated rates. The owners of Edenor, José Luis Manzano, Daniel Vila and Mauricio Filiberti, have a fluid dialogue with the new super-minister. Several energy entrepreneurs perceive Massa as a politician who knows the oil sector.

The change of officials takes place at a fundamental stage in the segmentation of tariffs. The Secretary of Energy had announced new tariff times for Monday 1 August. Santiago Yanotti, vice president of Cammesa, managed the trial under the direction of Darío Martínez.

There are still people who fill out the grant register. And it is believed that the government could extend that process for a week.

The electricity and gas distributors are awaiting the go-ahead from the Executive to apply the increases. The Secretary of Energy must indicate the families who will lose the benefits.

The idea of ​​the companies is to identify the customers who will lose the subsidies and invoice them with new values ​​from September.

User associations, which have long supported the government’s pricing policy, question “segmentation” and consider whether they will bring it to justice. In 2016, when the Mauricio Macri administration decided to increase electricity and gas, the Supreme Court of Justice suspended the increases due to the absence of public hearings. It was known as the Cepis ruling, from the name of the consumers’ association that had contested the increase.

For families who do not fill out the form, the government may remove the default benefit. In executive power they understand that those who are unwilling to provide information are because they are unable to justify their need to continue receiving subsidies.

Energy subsidies were $ 11 trillion in 2021 and are estimated to rise to $ 15 trillion this year. According to Executive Power estimates, the savings due to segmentation will be $ 15,000 million this year. In 2023, however, the drop in spending could be 100 billion dollars, according to the calculations of the Ministry of Energy.