Nicaragua Approves Law
Against Energy Waste
The National Assembly
(parliament) of
Nicaragua approved
Thursday a law for
punishing users who
waste energy, local
media reported.
The law, which had
caused long and fierce
debates, maintains only
financial sanctions
against users accused of
wasting energy or
consuming 700 kw/hour
per month. The original
law had provided for
terms of imprisonment
for energy waste by
consumers, according to
the government.
The new legislation also
considers sanctions
against the energy
distributing enterprise,
the Spanish
transnational Union
Fenosa, if it takes
illegal charges from
users, or deny services
to its clients as well
as provide inefficient
services.
The original law was
frozen for several
months due to the
opposition's pressure as
it linked the approval
of the law with certain
political demands.
The president of the
Central Bank of
Nicaragua, Antenor
Rosales, had urged the
opposition to support
the approval of the
bill, which is part of a
package of laws that the
Nicaraguan government
promised to approve as
part of an economic
program signed with the
International Monetary
Fund.
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