UMABOT sa pinagsamang P59.23 billion ang utang ng Independent Power Producer Administrators (IPPAs) at ng mga electric cooperative sa state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) hanggang noong 2018.
Tinukoy ang report ng PSALM, sinabi ng Department of Finance (DOF) na ilang IPPAs ang may nakabimbing overdue ac-counts na nagkakahalaga ng P28.46 billion sa state-run firm, ang ilan ay kinukuwestiyon sa arbitral tribunals.
Ang South Premier Power Corp. (SPPC) ay napaulat na may pinakamalaking unpaid obligations na P19.75 billion.
“PSALM earlier terminated the IPPA, but the termination has been enjoined by the courts,” wika ng DOF.
Ang PSALM ay naatasang isapribado ang generation assets ng National Power Corp. (NAPOCOR) at ang transmission assets ng National Transmission Corp. (TransCo.)
Sumusunod sa SPPC ang Vivant-Sta. Clara Northern Renewables Generation Corp., na may utang na P3.86 billion sa PSALM.
Dating pag-aari ng Vivant Energy and Sta. Clara Power Corp., ang kompanya ay binili kamakailan ng North Renewable Energy Corp., subalit sinabi ng DOF na hindi pa ito nababayaran sa kabila ng pagbabago sa ownership.
Ang iba pang IPPAs na may pagkakautang sa PSALM ay ang Good Friends Hydro Resources Corp. na may P1.16 billion; FDC Utilities Inc., P1.12 billion; at FDC Misamis Power Corp. na may P2.56 billion.
“Due to these overdue accounts, the government through PSALM is constrained to resort to borrowings that the national gov-ernment guarantees, in order for PSALM to timely fulfill its mandate of liquidating the financial obligations of the National Power Corporation,” wika ni PSALM President-CEO Irene Joy Garcia.
“In fact, in 2018, PSALM borrowed about P23 billion to cover its maturing obligations, and PSALM is set to borrow USD 1.1 billion for obligations maturing this end of May 2019,” dagdag pa niya.
Dahil dito, sinabi ng PSALM na nagkaroon ito ng karagdagang gastos dahil nagbayad ito ng interests, guarantee fees, at iba pang finance charges.
“All these borrowing costs could have otherwise been utilized by the government for the construction of public school class-rooms or to build roads and bridges,” sabi naman ni Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III.
May 10 electric cooperatives naman ang may pagkakautang sa PSALM na umabot sa P28.74 billion hanggang December 2018.
Comments are closed.