Adhin: DNA has no outstanding bills with EBS, Brunswijk says otherwise

The electricity bill of DNA is at the centre of a fierce exchange of words between the leadership of De Nationale Assemblée and N.V. Energiebedrijven Suriname (the state energy company). EBS director Leo Brunswijk previously stated that parliament itself is failing to meet its payment obligations, while DNA chairman Ashwin Adhin says there can be no question of an unpaid bill if it was never received.

In an interview with SUN, Brunswijk strongly criticised parliamentarians who have voiced criticism in recent days about the functioning of EBS. In particular, the implementation and communication surrounding loadshedding and the alleged mismanagement within the energy company were discussed during meetings of DNA. According to Brunswijk, however, parliament should first look at its own situation.

He stated that DNA uses several buildings and a large number of air-conditioning systems, while, according to him, there are overdue electricity payments. Brunswijk went so far as to say that, with consistent application of the rules, parliament too should be dealt with. “In fact, we should cut off DNA’s electricity,” he told SUN.

Adhin denies arrears on DNA electricity bill

DNA chairman Ashwin Adhin disputes the accusation that parliament has an outstanding electricity bill. According to him, the problem is precisely that EBS has never submitted invoices for the parliamentary building to DNA. “A bill that was never sent cannot be unpaid either,” Adhin says in an interview with LIM FM.

According to the parliamentary chairman, the administrative issue has dragged on since 2013. DNA reportedly wrote to EBS management at the time, requesting that monthly electricity bills be sent directly to parliament. It was also reportedly indicated that DNA was willing to pay these bills monthly. Adhin says no response was received to that letter.

“A bill that was never sent cannot be unpaid either.”

Brunswijk challenges parliament to provide figures

Brunswijk, on the other hand, states that DNA must indeed determine how much money is still owed to EBS. He challenged parliament to disclose when an electricity bill was last paid and how much any arrears amount to. His remarks followed after several parliamentarians had raised critical questions about policy and operations at EBS.

Brunswijk’s remarks came at a time when Suriname’s electricity supply is under heavy pressure. Households and businesses are dealing with power outages and are particularly complaining about the lack of predictability. Key News previously reported that a fixed loadshedding schedule is difficult to determine in advance, because the load on the electricity grid is constantly changing.

DNA continues to closely scrutinise EBS

Adhin says the sharp words of the EBS director will not prevent parliament from carrying out its oversight task. According to him, De Nationale Assemblée, as the people’s representative body, has the right and responsibility to ask questions about the energy supply, the financial policy of state-owned companies and the consequences for citizens and entrepreneurs.

He acknowledges that EBS faces major technical and financial challenges, but believes that criticism from parliament should not be dismissed with accusations over an alleged unpaid electricity bill of DNA. “We will not let anyone take that work away from us,” the chairman said.

Uncertainty over payment of government buildings

According to Adhin, a broader administrative problem may lie behind the discussion. At various government buildings, there may be uncertainty about which authority is ultimately responsible for paying utility services. DNA has therefore also raised the matter with the Ministry of Finance and Planning, according to him.

The parliamentary chairman stresses that DNA does not refuse to pay for electricity. If EBS submits a correct bill and it is clearly established that it must be paid by parliament, he sees no problem with payment. First, however, it must be clearly established where the invoices ended up in recent years and which government institution was formally responsible for the costs.

DNA electricity bill requires clarity from EBS

This puts the statements by Brunswijk and Adhin directly at odds with each other. Brunswijk speaks of payment arrears and believes DNA must meet its own obligations before accusing EBS of mismanagement. Adhin, on the other hand, says parliament has not received any bills and therefore cannot be regarded as a defaulter.

The matter can ultimately only be clarified through the records of EBS, DNA and possibly Finance. It will have to become clear how much electricity was supplied to parliament, in whose name the connection and billing are registered, which invoices were actually issued and whether payments were made on them.

The discussion carries added weight because parliamentarians are raising critical questions during this period about loadshedding, investments and the reliability of the electricity supply. The question surrounding the electricity bill of DNA therefore concerns not only a possible debt, but also the transparency of EBS and the government. Disclosure of the relevant invoices and payment data may clarify which account is supported by the records.