Miqati Says Power-Generating Vessels to Arrive by Year-End Pending Payment of Costs

Prime Minister Najib Miqati revealed on Wednesday that power-generating vessels are likely to reach Lebanon at the end of 2012 after they were expected to arrive in October.

Miqati said in comments published in As Safir newspaper that his cabinet is currently discussing ways to pay the Turkish company Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim the advance payment of its fees.

He pointed out that the advance payment constitutes 22 percent of the total cost of leasing the two ships, which are expected to generate 270 megawatts of electricity,

In July, Lebanon signed a $360 million three-year contract to lease electricity-generating ships from the Turkish firm.

The first ship was expected to to arrive in Lebanon mid-October while the second was set to arrive after 180 days.

Meanwhile, As Safir reported that Iran reiterated its readiness to provide Lebanon with free 25 megawatts through Iraq and Syria.

The daily said that authorities are discussing the payment of an additional 200 megawatts.

Concerning the dilemma over the new wages scale for public employees, the premier said that the cabinet will not refer the draft law to the parliament before acquiring the suitable resources to fund it.

“The best solution is to pay it in installments to avoid inflation,” Miqati pointed out.

In September, the government approved during a session at the Baabda Palace the new salaries scale for public employees ending a long dispute that had prompted the SCC to hold several sit-ins and strikes.

The government's wages increase will be retroactive from July 1, 2012, but the salary adjustments would be paid in installments over a period of five years.

However, on Tuesday the Syndicate Coordination Committee called for a general strike on October 10 over what it considered “the government's procrastination” and “the onslaught of the Economic Committees” over the matter.

The Economic Committees continuously rejected the increase, saying that the government’s plan “will inflict heavy losses on the public and private sectors.”