Energy Minister, Saleh Sumai, revealed on Wednesday that subscribers including senior officials such as ministers and their deputies owe his ministry about YR60 billion, over $279 million, just as Yemen is struggling to put an end to sabotage attacks blamed for power disruptions and long blackouts.
The statement came within the minister's replies to questions in the House of Representatives about the debt which has been owed to the energy ministry and accumulated over years.
After the statement, Parliament referred the debt topic to the services committee to discuss it with the government and find a solution.
The government appeared in Parliament to answer questions about key issues, mainly the draft bill to raise the price of diesel.
Yemen, which generates about 800 megawatts a day, has been suffering from long blackouts, in most cases more than 20 hours a day, due to persistent sabotage attacks on power supply lines in tribal areas and fuel shortages.
This year, power supply lines along Sanaa-Marib roads suffered about 33 attacks sending the Marib gas-fired power station out of commission many times and plunging several cities including the capital into darkness.