CFE canceles an 11 billion peso debt of Tabasco citizens

The debt of 203 thousand citizens affected by floods in 2020 is also “forgiven” but will be paid with tax payer money

VILLAHERMOSA, Tabasco (Proceso) – The Government of Tabasco and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) announced this Tuesday that since the program ‘Goodbye to your debt’ was not successful, they put an end to it, with which the federal agency forgave the historical debt of approximately 11 billion pesos of domestic users registered until 2019.

The agreement established with CFE directly benefits 607 thousand domestic electricity users, 85 percent of the total.

The Governor of Tabasco, Adán Augusto López Hernández, informed that as of this Tuesday, the total debt of domestic electricity users in the entity disappears, except for those considered high consumption.

Likewise, it was determined to “homologate” the IF rate (considered the cheapest in the country) during the whole year in the state. At the same time, the 2020 consumption was forgiven for 203 thousand Tabasco residents affected by floods.

In a press conference, Lopez Hernandez specified that progress was made with the agreement’s debt and the implementation of the 1F tariff two years ago. However, it was insufficient because the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of requirements made it difficult to agree with CFE.

“We announce that the ‘Adiós a tu Deuda’ (Goodbye to your Debt) agreement has been terminated, as of today, the total debt of electricity consumers disappears, everyone will be able to obtain the benefit without any previous requirement,” he said.

All domestic users will now have the 1F rate, which will be done automatically since, within 72 hours, all of them will be included in this benefit.

The state president pointed out that as of 2021, the tariff in Tabasco will be homologated in the summer and winter periods, as there will be no differentiation because his administration intends to subsidize the cost from January to March.

In Tabasco, delinquency against CFE began more than 25 years ago when the now-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador led the “civil resistance” movement in protest against an electoral fraud that prevented him from becoming governor.