Parliament approves power bill

Energy proposal approved with two amendments urging formation of Regulatory Authority, new EDL board

The Parliament approved on Thursday (September 22) an amended draft law for the electricity plan, as it was presented by the joint parliamentary committees.

The bill involves the allocation of $1.2 billion to boost electricity production in the country.

The parliamentary committees agreed Wednesday (September 21) to submit the cabinet’s energy proposal as a draft law to be voted in Parliament, with the inclusion of two amendments. The amendments urge the Minister of Energy and Water, Gebran Bassil, to form the Electricity Regulatory Authority, and assign a new board of directors for the Electricité du Liban (EDL).

The government endorsed the electricity bill– which is actually an excerpt of a comprehensive energy reform plan adopted in 2010 - early September following a last minute compromise over the funding of the project. The proposed draft law grants Bassil access to $1.2 billion to build power plants to supply 700 additional megawatts for the country. The compromise involved a decision to allocate the budgeted funds in four installments, rather than in one payment.
The Parliament also approved a subsidy on gasoline for public drivers for a period of three months.