EL-SEN, the electricity workers union, have taken on themselves the huge task of improving the finances of KIB-TEK, the electricity supply company.
Their main reason for doing so is to make the financial position so much better that it will deter the government from its intent to privatise KIB-TEK.
Until now, EL-SEN have made major strides in reducing the amounts in unpaid bills. They have done this by cutting off supplies until payments are paid or payment plans agreed. Consequently KIB-TEK has reduced its bank borrowings and therefore interest payments.
The major obstacle to EL-SEN’s efforts has, in fact, been government organisations that have in the main not paid their overdue electricity bills.
Today, EL-SEN swung into action against government and similar agencies. So far today, they have already cut the electricity supply to the Economics and Energy Ministry, the Sports Ministry, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Government Press Agency. Many more will follow in the next few days.
Union head, Caglayan Cesurer spoke to the press saying that until the debts were paid, the electricity supply would remain cut-off. He said that all these institutions had been warned before and anyway the law demanded that they be cut off.
Mr Cesurer then produced a list of government and other state entities that owed unpaid electricity bills. Below is an extract from this list.
Ministry of Economy and Energy TL 106,000
Ministry of Trade and Industry TL 250,000
Ministry of Sport TL 350,000
Ministry of Tourism and Culture TL 82,000
Highways department TL 47,500
BRT TL 3,500,000
Veterinary Office TL 95,000
Gocmenkoy Mosque TL 25,000
The Ministry of Economy and Energy has just made a partial payment and been reconnected.
