$1.2bn electricity bill from Lebane

BEIRUTLebanon's parliament passed a $1.2 billion bill to aim at boosting electricity output after weeks of political discord over how to allocate the funds transparently.

The bill calls for the construction of LNG power plants over the next three years and the upgrading of existing electricity stations;Lebanon has suffered decades of energy problems that have drained billions of dollars in electricity subsidies.  Energy and Water Minister Jibran Bassil who submitted the plan to boost electricity production by 700 MW machinery.
They said the plan lacked transparency and wanted to authorise the cabinet to handle the allocation of funds.
But on Wednesday, consensus was reached with agreement on two amendments to the energy proposal, which obliges Bassil to form an Electricity Regulatory Authority and a new board of directors for Electricite du Liban, the state-owned company that provides power to most of the country.