Hasbani: Electricity Plan Involved Private Sector, Doesn't Aggravate Budget Deficit
An electricity-reform plan approved by the cabinet on Tuesday which includes the establishment of new power plants and leasing electricity generating vessels, has incorporated the private sector in the production line, Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani said on Wednesday.
Ministers of the Lebanese Forces party have demanded the privatization of the electricity sector, and in that regard, Hasbani assured the “LF's request has been noticed in the plan.”
“The plan is not new, it has been extracted from the outlines of the 2010 plan,” he told An Nahar daily refusing allegations that the LF request was disregarded.
“Production will be the share of the private sector, especially the production of renewable energy. Each stage will be negotiated in the cabinet for approval, which ensures follow-up and monitoring,” said Hasbani.
The Minister assured the new plan will not increase the budget's deficit.
“The service providers will activate collection of bills by trying to control electricity theft which is wasting around 15-20 percent of the energy, and stopping technical waste in the old network which amounts to 15 percent,” concluded the Minister.
On Tuesday, the cabinet approved an electricity-reform plan proposed by Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil to improve Lebanon's electricity sector, one day after it endorsed the 2017 budget plan,.
LF leader Samir Geagea has recently proposed that private companies build and operate power plants in a partnership with the state in the electricity sector, describing it as a necessary reform that should be included in the state budget.
According to Geagea, such a step would provide a 24/24 power supply across the country and would spare the treasury around $2 billion in yearly losses.
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