CAIRO: Minister of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younes stated that the ministry takes action against employees who are responsible for power cuts that last for more than one hour everyday. In an interview with Abdul Latif Al-Menawy on the terrestrial channel one on Wednesday, Younes confirmed that the power cuts are directly related to the weather conditions, but assured that the situation will improve. He added that when problems occur, they are resolved immediately. The minister explained that the power cuts are meant to alleviate electric consumption after sunset for not more than an hour. "Any employee who cuts off the the electric current for more than an hour daily is subject to legal accountability," Aktham Aboul Ela, official spokesperson of the ministry said. "The ministry has worked on resolving the power cuts issue since Ramadan started, and many more procedures will be taken during September, such as the wind power plant and the steam power plant which will provide us with 250 megawatts, as well as the High Dam developments which have provided us with an extra 175 megawatts," he added. Younes also said that before Sept. 10, an extra 550 megawatts will be added to Egypt's capacity, which will greatly contribute to solving the crisis. When asked about plans for next year, the minister stated that an extra 1000 megawatts will be added before the summer of 2011. In his televised interview, Younes maintained that power cuts usually last for around an hour, refuting news reports that claim that power cuts can last for up to 12 hours or more in some parts of the country. "This is an exaggeration of reality," he said.
