Lebanon is expecting a new power crisis in 2002 as Syria recently cut electricity supply to its neighbor. An official source at the Electricite du Liban (EDL) stated that the power halt was the result of a breakdown in Syria's power stations in Aleppo and Al-Zara, however the Lebanese press attributed the electricity cut to EDL’s inability to clear a $120 million debt.
EDL released a statement confirming that a power-rationing program would have to be implemented in January, under which electricity would be supplied only 16 hours per day in all Lebanese regions except in the capital of Beirut, reported the Xinhua news agency.
Lebanon gets an estimated 200 megawatts of electricity from Syria monthly at a cost of eight to nine million dollars per month. Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri reportedly assured Syria that his country would pay the bill in installments, averaging five million dollars a month, however a transaction is yet to be reported. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
