Brasília, March 5, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The new rules for the functioning of the electric energy sector were approved yesterday (4) on the Senate floor. The changes are contained in the bill to convert Provisional Measure 144/03. The proposal should return to the Chamber of Deputies for examination, since there was an agreement among leaders with respect to amendments altering the text. Voting on these amendments and items singled out for separate consideration was scheduled for next Tuesday's (9) session, also through an agreement among leaders, as announced by Senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS).

The amendments defended by the rapporteur, Senator Delcidio Amaral (PT-MS), were, according to him, the fruit of ample negotiations with all the leaderships, including the participation of the Minister of Mines and Energy, Dilma Rousseff. For example, a modification was proposed to guarantee distributors the right to pass through the cost of acquiring electricity on the regulated contract market, which covers regulated energy contracts aimed at assuring lower rates. Another change assigns hydrological risks to energy buyers but allows these risks to be passed along to the rates charged final consumers.

Amaral explained that another amendment stemming from the agreement among leaders establishes mechanisms for more adequate administration of overdue bills, above all for non-residential consumers.

This information comes from the Agência Senado. (DAS)