Cabinet Approves Electricity Plan 'in Principle'

The Cabinet on Friday approved “in principle” the electricity plan devised by Energy Minister Walid Fayyad.

Cabinet stressed “the need to implement the law and regulate the sector in an immediate manner, especially as to the formation of the regulatory commission and naming its members according to international standards,” acting Information Minister Abbas al-Halabi said after the session.

Cabinet has also decided to “form a ministerial committee tasked with reviewing the law regulating the electricity sector,” Halabi added.

“Hiking the electricity tariff will take place after increasing power supply to eight to 10 hours per day, while taking into consideration the situations of low-income citizens whose monthly consumption does not exceed 500 kilowatts,” the minister said.

Minister Fayyad for his part said Cabinet’s tentative approval of the plan is a “constructive achievement.”

“The reason for optimism is that we can continue the negotiations with the World Bank to secure the necessary funding for increasing power supply with the least possible cost for citizens,” Fayyad added.