BEIRUT, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese caretaker Economy Minister Raed Khoury said Sunday that owners of private generators in Lebanon may face imprisonment if they do not comply with the prices set by the ministry.
"Security forces will make sure that the government's decisions are being implemented by everybody and those who are not committed to it may face prison sentence," he was quoted by Elnashra, an independent online newspaper, as saying.
Khoury added that his ministry may confiscate the generators if their owners violate the law.
Lebanese government insisted Tuesday on regulating private generators business after the sector refused to lower its prices to the level set by the Energy Ministry amid energy shortage in the country.
Authorities will regulate the sector by installing meters to private generators to measure the exact consumption of electricity in order to determine the exact prices that should be paid by citizens.
Owners of private generators voiced their objection to the Energy Ministry's decision to reduce their prices.
Khoury said he is surprised at the rejection of private generators owners because they would still gain good profit even after reducing their prices.
The minister explained that this new move aims at regulating the sector until the government is capable of securing 24-hour electricity all over Lebanon.
Lack of electricity in Lebanon has been a problem for many years, with the government's incapability of producing sufficient power.
Lebanese residents usually turn to private operators, which charge higher, during power outages.
The current public electricity production in Lebanon stands at 2,000 MW, while national demand goes beyond 3,300 MW in summer months.
