At an accelerated pace, the President of the Republic, Daniel Noboa presented to the National Assembly the second bill promoted by his Government, in less than a month in power. The initiative was submitted on Wednesday, December 20.

It is a proposal for an organic law on energy competitiveness, which is urgent in economic matters, which implies that the Assembly has 30 days to analyze, debate and vote on the norm.

In a document sent to parliament, which has 26 pages, President Daniel Noboa pointed out that the norm is important “because of the serious energy crisis in Ecuador, which has affected the production and economic system of all Ecuadorians”.

The legal body, in the introductory part, points out that “a new regulation for the energy sector is necessary, which could solve the serious crisis in which the energy sector has fallen and optimize public finances, and how to eliminate possible effects on the general budget of the state, on citizens and those seeking self-sustainability power system.”

The standard has 20 articles, one general provision, four transitional ones. Its field of application is for the public and private sector. In addition, it contains reform provisions of the Organic Law on Energy Efficiency and the Organic Law on the Internal Tax Regime.

The main novelty of the proposed law on energy competitiveness is that it introduces a title, an article related to free zones, into the Organic Law on Public Electricity Service.

It is emphasized that “in the event of a state of emergency in the power sector”, declared by the Ministry of Branch, “or in the event of a state of emergency”, declared by the President of the Republic, which includes the production and/or infrastructure of additional electricity to meet the needs of this public service in the country, the private sector, through multi-business representation in energy-free zones duly established as such, can establish generation and/or electricity transmission projects that “enable us to meet the country’s national demand for electricity, as well as guarantee the operation and the reliability of the electrical system, promoting the possibility of exporting electricity.”

In this regard, the draft law stipulates that the conditions, procedures and requirements for approving and enabling the development of these activities conceived as free zones will be established in the regulations of the norm.

The new legislative initiative proposed by the Executive was formalized a few hours after the publication in the Official Register of the Law on Economic Efficiency and Employment, which is the first norm established by Daniel Noboa.