Lebanon's Power Crisis Sees No Progress

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Lebanon, a country plagued with power rationing, seems to find no solution for its longtime crisis in light of disagreements among political parties over the means to tackle the problem.

The government has canceled on Thursday a previous bid to lease Turkish power generating vessels to improve power supply, and has therefore approved a new tender with new conditions.

Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil was tasked by the government to prepare new tender documents to lease power-generating plants, and to present them to the cabinet in one week for approval before sending them to the Tenders Department of the Central Inspection Bureau, Information Minister Melhem Riachi had stated after the cabinet meeting.

Companies interested in submitting their bids to lease power-generating plants will be given a two week notice by the Tenders Department.

A previous bid to lease Turkish power-generating ships was annulled at the request of Abi Khalil, “it was canceled because there was only one bidder,” said Riachi.

Some political parties, mainly the Kataeb party, have criticized the previous electricity bid dubbing it as “illegal” and a means to achieve “personal gains.”

A senior Kataeb source who spoke on condition of anonymity told al-Joumhouria daily on Friday: “The government decision as for the power-generating ships file is a clear self conviction. Although what is demanded is rectifying the technical course of the power-generating ships, but what is required politically is to hold those responsible for violating the law.”

Kataeb MP Salim al-Sayegh told VDL (100.5): “The opposition's stance was necessary to scrap the electricity bid. The battle is not over yet.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani said: “The previous course of the file was marred by several defects. Competition and obtaining the best prices is the most important.”

SourceNaharnet
Comments 10
Thumb justin 18 August 2017, 11:59

According to ado.australia the electricity tragedy in Lebanon is because of the civil war in 1975.

Missing phillipo 18 August 2017, 12:03

I've got a suggestion.
Be just like the Gaza Strip, where the Hamas also don't recognise Israel, but buy some of their electricity from there.

Thumb justin 18 August 2017, 12:13

@phillipo

I was being sarcastic. Lebanon has pumped into the electricity sector $8 billion since 2009 alone! The Electricity Board (EDL) is overstaffed and it under performs. It is all about corruption in Lebanon. Buying electricity from your country will not work because they will not pay kickbacks.

Thumb justin 18 August 2017, 14:11

Sorry, my figures are incorrect. It is more like EDL costs the government around $2 billion a year.

"According to the most recent reports EDL receives daily a subsidy of $5.5 million or more than $2 billion annually."

Missing servant-of-jesus 18 August 2017, 13:49

free?
perhaps my uncle who owned a supermarket begs to differ with you on account that he had to pay the Syrian intelligence headquarters a monthly payment or they would torch his Supermarket. He tried twice not to pay. Twice was torched with a flame bomb. I spent a month cleaning cans from soot.
That doesn't sound like things were "for free".

Thumb rocococo 18 August 2017, 14:01

"We got it for free too."

That confirms it then, I always thought Iran had better infrastructure than Lebanon.

Thumb galaxy 18 August 2017, 14:58

the shia heretic would not know the difference; they never paid or pay for electricity anyway.

Thumb liberty 18 August 2017, 20:56

lol @ the giga devil worshiper. So the thousands of lebanese who perished under torture in syrian jails were all running rings;)!

Thumb i.report 18 August 2017, 12:34

Merci à Bassil le gros voleur!

Thumb Elemental 18 August 2017, 16:43

No progress, not surprised.