El-Sisi urges patience in face of power crisis

[DJKeefy]

Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Saturday that the country’s power crisis requires major funding and cannot be solved soon.

In a speech broadcast on state television, El-Sisi announced that Egypt needs no less that "130 billion Egyptian pounds in the next five years" to develop the electricity sector to meet the population's current needs.

A major power outage hit Cairo and several governorates on Thursday, paralysing the Cairo metro and knocking some local television stations off air.

Power cuts have become common in Egypt in recent years, but have worsened this summer. The Ministry of Electricity has said it is trying to conserve power in the face of fuel shortages and sabotage attempts on power lines.

In his speech, El-Sisi said that the government is dealing with investors to get the required funding to tackle the crisis.

He added that the country's electricity sector has suffered for decades from a lack of development and that its power plants need major renovation to create an adequate power system nationwide.

"This will not be solved soon," he said. "We are facing many challenges and no government or president will be able to overcome them alone."

He said he understands people's frustration, but urged them to be patient, adding that the power crisis is only one of the country's looming problems.

El-Sisi also mentioned the 11 security personnel who were killed in an IED attack in the tumultuous region of North Sinai earlier this week, saying that the government is battling terrorism and is working hard to ensure the safety of innocent civilians.

Egypt's army has been waging a major offensive against Islamist militants in the violence-ridden northern part of the peninsula over the last year.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/110071.aspx

[A-Four]

Well, that is a little amazing 15mins after I write on a different subject Keefy posts this informative article from our old friend El Ahram. As usual on almost every subject these days it is wrong.

The reason why the electricity is going off for so often and for so long, is that B.P. and B.G. has demanded payment on money owed, which incidentally, I was the first to inform you of on here long before even the Egyptian press go hold of the news, way back last year

We now learn, well you in Egypt would if the government there was to tell the truth, is that these two British companies have DEMANDED payment or the light really goes out in Egypt, and not just for a couple of hours.

At the start of this past week the four major banks in Egypt loaned the government $1.6 Billion to use for this purpose, that is why interest rates went up again in Egypt. The money given to Sisi 'as potential lord protector' of the region, by the Gulf States, being a further $5 Billion, must stay on deposit at the bank of Egypt,........well, what do you think is holding up the LE, it's certainly not the voltage, or even the dafter idea of making the Suez Canal a dual carriageway,..............for Christ sake.

[Glyphdoctor]

What happened Thursday was completely different from the regular power cuts, A4. The regular cuts are controlled and intentional and limited to specific, rotating areas. On Thursday 60% of the grid went down in a few minutes unexpectedly and knocked out not only the power but many water plants as well. Some places like Luxor power and water go off together but in a lot of areas they don't so this was something new.

[LovelyLadyLux]

None of this seems to bode well for Egypt.

[carrie]

Well what ever the reason I wish El Sisi the best of luck, his job must be a nightmare and if the Gov. is lying to the people as you say A4 then it's only doing what every Gov in the world does.

[A-Four]

Well what ever the reason I wish El Sisi the best of luck, his job must be a nightmare and if the Gov. is lying to the people as you say A4 then it's only doing what every Gov in the world does.

Your statement here Carrie says it all, and I, as a tourist am looking forward to my long Autumn holiday in perhaps my most favourite place in the world, Luxor. I look forward to seeing my British friends there. Most of my old Egyptian friends are now long dead, though I worry not about power cuts etc, for the smiles and true warmth of the people I know so well will keep me coming back home, for what I hope will be be many years from now, and to the place, I can never say good-bye.

Now, where have I put those bloody things Ace so desperately need.

[Dusak]

Well, that is a little amazing 15mins after I write on a different subject Keefy posts this informative article from our old friend El Ahram. As usual on almost every subject these days it is wrong.

The reason why the electricity is going off for so often and for so long, is that B.P. and B.G. has demanded payment on money owed, which incidentally, I was the first to inform you of on here long before even the Egyptian press go hold of the news, way back last year

We now learn, well you in Egypt would if the government there was to tell the truth, is that these two British companies have DEMANDED payment or the light really goes out in Egypt, and not just for a couple of hours.

At the start of this past week the four major banks in Egypt loaned the government $1.6 Billion to use for this purpose, that is why interest rates went up again in Egypt. The money given to Sisi 'as potential lord protector' of the region, by the Gulf States, being a further $5 Billion, must stay on deposit at the bank of Egypt,........well, what do you think is holding up the LE, it's certainly not the voltage, or even the dafter idea of making the Suez Canal a dual carriageway,..............for Christ sake.

I think that a ginormous bed smilie would be of benefit, housing a contented snorer in hibernation........................for Christs sake.