BEIRUT, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A French official on Wednesday urged the Lebanese government to overhaul the electricity sector to attract Lebanese and foreign investors to the country, local media reported.
"Supplying 24 hours of electricity is a very urgent need in the midst of the complicated economic situation in Lebanon," Pierre Duquesne, French inter-ministerial delegate to the Mediterranean, was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.
Duquesne said during his meeting with Lebanese Water and Energy Minister Nada Boustani in Beirut that electricity reforms will have positive impact on other sectors as well.
"The CEDRE will also offer multiple opportunities in this field," he added.
The CEDRE is an international conference which pledged to release 11 billion U.S. dollars in loans and donations for Lebanon on condition that the country makes serious reforms.
Necessary reforms include an overhaul of the electricity sector which costs the treasury around 2 billion U.S. dollars yearly, a halt in employment in the public sector, the fight against tax evasion, an improved collection of bills and other structural changes.
