MUKALLA — The Investing Electric Power Company which provides energy to coastal areas of Hadramout has threatened to cut off electricity, unless the government pays its past-due bills. The threat comes in response to a new two week deadline set by the government on May 6.

The company, which sells its energy to the state-owned Public Electricity Foundation, claimed that it extended the first deadline which was supposed to end May 5 in recognition of efforts on the part of the governor of Hadramout, Khalid Al-Daini, who paid visits to Sana’a in an attempt to pay the company its financial bills.

The company said in a statement that the decision to extend the deadline was taken in the best interests of the Hadramout people and it is serving them at maximum capacity given the resources available.

The company reduced its capacity in order to continue work in the upcoming two weeks, during which time it will be unable to carry out regular maintenance and provide or replace spare parts. In addition, it cannot pay employees’ salaries and other commitments on account of the freezing of its financial obligations since April last year by financial and electricity ministries.

The workers of the Public Electricity Foundation staged a strike on Saturday of this week in protest against the centralization of authority practiced by some of its leaders. “What is the point of sending Hadramout’s electricity bills to Sana’a, when the central government is stalling payment to investors in Hadramout? Especially when the minster of electricity praised Hadramout of being the sole government that pays its bills without delay,” the workers said.

People in Hadramout have expressed their concern about the issue to Yemen Times: “We cannot imagine living without electricity in the coming dog days,” they said.

“The banks, hospitals and schools will close down and life will stop,” a local said.

According to people in Hadramout, the coming two weeks will be a real test for the leadership of the local council in Hadramout on whether they can pressure the government to pay back dues to investors in the electric company.