Electricity Project Expenses Divided between Treasury and Arab Funds

Several ministers have tasked Hizbullah and Amal movement with informing Energy Minister Jebran Bassil about the decisions they reached on the electricity crisis at a meeting held at the Grand Serail on Monday.

Amal Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and a Hizbullah representative will make the proposal to Bassil although he rejected any amendment to his electricity plan that calls for the allocation of $1.2 billion to generate 700 Megawatts of electricity.

Bassil boycotted Monday’s meeting and ruled out during a press conference the possibility of any compromise over his proposed plan.

Ministers Khalil, Mohammed Fneish, Ghazi Aridi, Wael Abou Faour, Mohammed Safadi and Nicolas Nahhas attended the meeting under Miqati.

They agreed to fund the first stage of the project from the state treasury to generate 600 Megawatts of electricity at the cost of $600 million in 2011-2012 and later search for funding from Arab funds and the private sector for the implementation of the remaining phases.

The ministers also agreed to amend law 462 that regulates the electricity sector, establish the electricity regulatory authority within 3 months and allow the tenders department to oversee the subcontracting process.

Ministerial sources told An Nahar daily that the agreements were reached in an attempt to reach a solution to the crisis although several ministers expressed frustration at the press conference that Bassil held as their meeting was underway.

The sources said that the suggestions are considered a roadmap that combines the viewpoints of the ministers representing Amal, Hizbullah and Walid Jumblat’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc.

“It is now up to Bassil and his political team (the Free Patriotic Movement) to approve the proposals,” they added.