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General information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Note

1 | General information

Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte S.A. (hereinafter “edenor” or “the Company”) is a corporation (sociedad anónima) organized under the laws of Argentina, with legal address at 6363 Av. Del Libertador Ave - City of Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic, whose shares are traded on the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

The corporate purpose of edenor is to engage in the distribution and sale of electricity within the concession area. Furthermore, among other activities, the Company may subscribe or acquire shares of other electricity distribution companies, subject to the approval of the regulatory agency, assign the use of the network to provide electricity transmission or other voice, data and image transmission services, and render advisory, training, maintenance, consulting, and management services and know-how related to the distribution of electricity both in Argentina and abroad. These activities may be conducted directly by edenor or through subsidiaries or related companies. In addition, the Company may act as trustee of trusts created under Argentine laws.

History and development of the Company

edenor was organized on July 21, 1992 by Executive Order No. 714/92 in connection with the privatization and concession process of the distribution and sale of electric power carried out by SEGBA.

By means of an International Public Bidding, the PEN awarded 51% of the Company’s capital stock, represented by the Class "A" shares, to the bid made by EASA, the parent company of edenor at that time. The award as well as the transfer contract were approved on August 24, 1992 by Executive Order No. 1,507/92 of the PEN.

On September 1, 1992, EASA took over the operations of edenor.

As a consequence of the share purchase and sale agreement entered into on December 28, 2020 between Pampa Energía S.A. and Empresa de Energía del Cono Sur S.A., all the Class A shares, representing 51% of the Company’s share capital and votes were transferred to the latter. That transaction was authorized by means of ENRE Resolution No. 207/2021 dated June 24, 2021. Therefore, Empresa de Energía del Cono Sur S.A. is the parent company of edenor (Note 39).

The Company’s economic and financial situation

In the last few fiscal years, the Company recorded negative working capital and operating losses. This situation is due mainly to the suspension of the electricity rate adjustment since February 2019, in spite of the constant increase of the operating costs and the investments necessary, both for the operation of the network and for maintaining the quality of the service, in an inflationary context in which the Argentine economy has been since mid-2018.

Additionally, this situation was exacerbated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a severe social, economic and financial impact. Most of the world’s countries implemented exceptional actions, which had an immediate effect on their economies, as rapidly evidenced by the falls recorded in production and activity indicators. The governments’ immediate response to these consequences was the implementation of tax aids to sustain their citizens’ income and thereby reduce the risk of a breakdown in the chain of payments, with the aim of avoiding an economic and financial crisis.

With regard to the Company, in 2021 and the first months of the year 2022, the values of the electricity rate schedules suffered changes that, except for the provisions of ENRE Resolutions No. 107/2021 and 76/2022 dated April 30, 2021 and February 25, 2022 respectively (Note 2.b.), implied only the passing through of the seasonal prices not an improvement of revenues from the Company’s CPD, which are still insufficient to cover the economic and financial needs of the Distribution Company in a context of growing annual inflation, with the rate surpassing 50%. Nevertheless, and in spite of the aforementioned context with constant increases in operating costs, the investments necessary, both for the operation of the network and for maintaining and even improving the quality of the service, have been made.

Although in the current year the economic activity has shown a recovery after the effect caused by the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020, the country’s macroeconomic situation with the increase in the rate of inflation, the widening of the gap between the official dollar exchange rate and the dollar exchange rate quoted in the informal market, and the consequences of the agreement with the International Monetary Fund make it difficult to envisage a clear-cut trend of the economy in the short term.

This complex and vulnerable economic context is aggravated by the currency restrictions imposed by the BCRA pursuant to which the BCRA’s prior authorization is required for certain transactions, such as the Company’s transactions associated with the payment of imports of goods that are necessary for the provision of the service, and the payments to service the financial debt. These currency restrictions, or those to be implemented in the future, could affect the Company’s ability to access the MULC in order to acquire the foreign currency necessary to face its operating and financial obligations.

As a consequence of the described context, the Company witnessed an even greater deterioration of the economic and financial equation due to the rate freeze, the impossibility of taking legal action to enforce payment of debts for electricity consumed but not paid, and the increase in costs on the Company’s operating structure and supplies. Therefore, it became necessary to partially postpone payments to CAMMESA for energy purchased in the MEM as from the maturities taking place in March 2020 (Note 2.c), payment obligations which have been partially regularized, but as of December 31, 2021 accumulate a past due principal balance of $ 26,259, plus interest and charges for $ 23,880.

Despite the previously detailed situation, it is worth pointing out that, in general terms, the quality of the electricity distribution service has been significantly improved, both in duration and frequency of power cuts. In view of the continuous increase of the costs associated with the provision of the service, as well as the need for additional investments to meet the demand, the Company is analyzing different measures aimed at mitigating the negative effects of this situation on its financial structure, minimizing the impact on the sources of employment, the execution of the investment plan, and the carrying out of the essential operation, maintenance and improvement-related works that are necessary to maintain the provision of the public service, object of the concession, in a satisfactory manner in terms of quality and safety.

Due to that which has been previously described, the Board of Directors understand that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt about edenor’s ability to continue as a going concern, which may result in the Company’s being obliged to defer certain payment obligations or unable to meet expectations for salary increases or the increases recorded in third-party costs.

Nevertheless, these financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue to operate as a going concern and do not include the adjustments or reclassifications that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties, inasmuch as this Distribution Company has historically been provided with transitional solutions that have made it possible to partially restore the economic and financial equation and ensure the operation of the distribution networks.