Mining equipment seized at the headquarters of Paraguay's state electricity company

Sandra Loyd

On Thursday, March 11, the National Electricity Administration (ANDE), a Paraguayan electricity company, carried out an internal audit where it discovered that officials had been mining cryptocurrencies at the facilities of the state company itself.

According to local media reports, the mining equipment was located in the Department of Security and Surveillance of the state company, where officials had equipment and used irregularly the electrical energy of the building.

Seven civil servants worked in the department of the institution, who were separated from the position. They were responsible for the building’s security protocols, including closed circuit cameras.

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Cryptocurrency miners seized at the ANDE headquarters. Source: ANDE

This irregular activity would have incurred in a fraud of 8,700 million guaraníes (PGY), an estimated USD 1,300 according to international rates, said the director of Administrative Services of ANDE, Fidel Girett (Engineer), to the communication medium ABC.com.

However, they clarify that the computers were disconnected at the time of the internal audit, but all the computers are being investigated.

The complaint was made before the Public Ministry of Paraguay, in Fiscal Unit No. 19, with the Prosecutor María Luján Estigarribia, according to read on the ANDE web portal.

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Several officials of ANDE conducted the audit, seized the equipment and closed the office. Source: ANDE

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining industry is interested in Paraguay

The president of ANDE, Engineer Félix Sosa , spoke to ABC.com about cryptocurrency mining companies that want to establish themselves in the country.

The industry to be installed is 100 megawatts of power, which can be consumed by the entire Acaray plant, so we have considered this made before other institutions such as the Central Bank, Finance and the Ministry of Commerce, to decide as a country what we want and if we are going to allow these facilities.

Engineer Félix Sosa, President of the National Administration l de Electricidad, Paraguay.

Indeed, on March 10 last the ANDE carried out a work table in a transmission on-line where proposals from various industries were evaluated, including cryptocurrency mining.

Representatives of various Paraguayan state agencies discussed electrical installations in the country, the amount of jobs that could be generate this industry, cybersecurity, regulation, as well as its sustainability.

As we reported in CriptoNoticias last year, Paraguay’s electrical potential for Bitcoin and cryptocurrency mining has been emphasized by specialists in the area. It also attracts mining companies that want to take advantage of the country’s electricity supply.

Likewise, the depreciation of the national currency, the guaraní (PGY), increases interest in cryptocurrencies. as a means of safeguarding value in the country, so many are looking for where to buy Bitcoin in Paraguay.

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