Bassil Reportedly Approves Proposal to End Electricity Standoff
A ministerial meeting aimed at finding a solution to the electricity crisis is expected to be held at the Grand Serail on Monday after allegedly progress was made on a proposal to end the standoff.
Ministerial sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Tuesday that during a previous meeting under Premier Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail, several suggestions were made to end the dispute on a draft law proposed by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun that calls for allocating $1.2 billion to Energy Minister Jebran Bassil.
Ministers Mohammed Fneish, Mohammed Safadi, Nicolas Nahhas, Wael Abou Faour, Ghazi Aridi and Ali Hassan Khalil attended the meeting on Monday. Bassil wasn’t present at the talks.
However, al-Hayat’s sources said that Bassil agreed to a proposal to allow Electricite de France to oversee the project along with an electricity regulatory authority rather than forming a technical committee to supervise the implementation of the plan.
The electricity crisis erupted after ministers loyal to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat refused to allow Bassil to spend the $1.2 billion funds without any supervision. They suggested the formation of the technical committee.
Other suggestions made at the meeting included the formation of the electricity regulatory authority similar to other sectors, allowing the private sector to play a role in the implementation of the project, spending around $265 million from the treasury for the first stage of the plan and then use Arab and Islamic funds for the rest of the project.
The funding suggestion came after Finance Minister Mohammed Safadi said that the state treasury is not capable of funding the project in a single step.
A ministerial source said, however, that the adoption of the proposals is awaiting the final answer of Bassil and Aoun.
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