Lebanese Energy Minister Nada al-Boustani accompanied on Saturday a technical team and security forces to remove violations on the power grid in Beirut.
“There is a political agreement to support this effort,” Boustani said from the Hamra neighborhood as she kicked off her campaign to restructure the electricity sector and eliminate violations on the grid.
“The municipality of Beirut supports a decision to tackle any electricity theft,” she said, adding that next week, the ministry would decrease the installation fee by more than 75 percent and allow violators to apply for a power subscription.
She said the campaign was not directed against the people, but aims to help reduce the losses on the grid and better distribute power.
Boustani’s campaign raised several questions over its timing and whether it would exclude areas where political parties wield significant influence.
A source close to the energy minister told Asharq Al-Awsat that the campaign was launched after the cabinet approved a plan to restructure the power sector. The plan includes a central article on removing violations.
“The violations are not limited to a certain area, but they are present everywhere in varying degrees. A plan has been set to remove them all and warrants are being prepared,” added the source.
He predicted that the campaign will be a success given the political consensus that was reached over it at cabinet and after it was agreed to remove political protection off the violators.
The campaign aims to ensure equal rights among all people, increase tax collection and reduce the deficit at Electricite du Liban and improve power supplies.
Economy expert Dr. Sami Nader backed the ministry’s campaign and said it would help reform the electricity sector, which remains the first item of a list of conditions set by donor states that pledged to help Lebanon during the CEDRE conference held in Paris last year.
