One Question Dr. Hassan Mneimneh

Dear Mr. Traboulsi,

Thank you for answering promptly yesterday.

I have thought a great deal, since yesterday, about the way I should put forward my questions because there are so many of them.

Education covers such a vast field of activities. Unless one follows a systematic approach one can get easily lost with so many problems to solve.

Fortunately Minister Mneimne has realized this fact and has developed his National Education Plan to cover all the main subjects in an orderly way. He has identified ten basic subjects and sixty-two specific objectives to realize during the next five years. Allow me to list them below because I believe that they represent the entire work program of the Ministry.

1. Early childhood education – Five objectives
2. Improving retention and achievement – Six objectives
3. Developing infrastructure – Five objectives
4. Professionalizing the teaching workforce – Seven objectives
5. Modernizing school management – Six objectives
6. Assessing Education and developing curriculum – Seven objectives
7. Citizenship education – Four objectives
8. ICT – Information communication Technology – Four objectives
9. National qualification network – Three objectives
10. Institutional development –Eleven objectives

Now this is the Program. What about the Execution?

As you will agree with me, Execution has always been the problem in Lebanon’s public Administration.

Out of the sixty two objectives, Minister Mneimne has identified twenty six initiatives that were planned to be started in 2010.

I intend asking Minister Mneimne every day one question about each of these initiatives, starting on the first of January. This means that by the end of January 2011 all the questions will have been asked regarding the year 2010 that has nearly ended.

What we shall need to know is:

1) Has this initiative been effectively started in 2010?
2) If not, why not?
3) What percentage of the programmed work regarding this initiative has been accomplished?
4) What were the results obtained?
5) What were the obstacles encountered and how do you plan to solve them in the future?
6) In retrospect, was the initiative justified or should it be changed or modified?
7) How can the citizens help the Ministry achieve their target regarding this particular initiative?

My questions will also be published on my blog “One Question, Mr. Minister” that everyone can access at http://www.questionsfromcpi.blogspot.com/2010/12/one-question-dr-hassan-mneimneh.html

World Energy Research and AuDAX Resources Announce Oil and Gas Exploration Partnership

World Energy Research and AuDAX Resources Announce Oil and Gas Exploration Partnership
This is interesting.

Your Excellency, what happened to the April discussions with the World Bank about the Electricity Plan?

Your Excellency,
More than six months have gone by since the above article appeared in the Press. What has happened since?
You were right in affirming that a "coherent five year Plan" must be set up and followed up by all the Ministers who succeed themselves during that period:  "un plan coherent suivi de maniere constante sans etre soumis a des modifications chaqque fois qqu'un nouveau ministre est nomme".
But, yourself, your Excellency, why did you set aside Minister Fneich's Plan and why no mention was made of this Plan in your own proposals?
But more importantly, why did you omit to mention the first requirement in that Plan: "updating the audit of EDL accounts that have not been made since 2002 and undertaking a full inventory of all EDL assets and liabilities to date"?
How can you plan to invest some additional five billion dollars without making sure of your base first?
Minister Fneich had estimated at 180 days the task of updating EDL's accounts. If this job had been started in April, it should have been nearly completed by now. The inventory of EDL's assets should not take more than two or three months to complete. Do you agree?
So, what are we waiting for?
Don't you think that the World Bank would feel more inclined to fund the Electricity Project, once these two important tasks are completed?

A question to Minister Michel Pharaon - Relationship between Government and Parliament

Your Excellency,
A few months ago we read with a great deal interest the above article on the subject of the relationship between the government and the parliamentary commissions, as well as your personal experience in that domain.
We are eager to know if any progress has been made in that respect and if you were able to secure more cooperation between the government and the deputies in the matters that are of vital importance to both: Electricity, Agriculture, Industry, Education, Fight against poverty, Environment etc.
Respectfully yours
George Sabat

A question addressed to HE Michel Pharaon, Minister of State regarding the "generator ships"

Your Excellency,

We have read with great interest your opinion on  the supply of electricity by means of generators installed on ships that was proposed by HE Gebran Bassil.
We understand that you fear that this process will use unrefined oil that may be harmful to our environment and increase the pollution along our coasts.
The point that you have raised appears to be valid and important. Could you give us some additional technical details and expert opinion to support this view?
We read recently in the press that the project of "generator ships" was approved iu principle by the Council of Ministers and was due to be implemented soon.
The citizens would like to be fully updated on that important subject.
We fear that, apart from this short article in l'Orient Le Jour, we shall no longer hear about it for a long time.
 The Reform of the Electricity in Lebanon has been the subject of thousand of studies during the past twenty years without any practical results to date.
 This year, we fear that the losses of EDL will probably reach $2 billion considering the price of oil that has constantly  hovered around eighty dollars per barrel.
It is high time for the citizens of this country to be told the full truth.  Their opinions and their demands should be taken into consideration.
We have already suggested to HE Minister Bassil to appoint a member of his staff at the Ministry of Energy and Hydraulic Resources to receive the enquiries and the demands of the citizens and reply to them, either individually, or through a special "Energy Gazette" that should be published every month by the Ministry.
If you believe that this suggestion is appropriate kindly introduce it to the parliamentary commission concerned for consideration and approval.

A QUESTION ADDRESSED TO THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE Re THE NEW RECRUITS

Your Excellency,

We have read in the press lately that you plan to recruit in the near future four hundred and fifty agricultural engineers and technicians to fill up the vacancies in your Ministry.

We were already aware of the acute shortage in qualified personnel at the Ministry of Agriculture and we sincerely commend you for taking that initiative.

At the same time, could you please explain to us a few things about this projected move?

• What exact functions will these new recruits perform?
• Is there a detailed Agricultural National Plan that indicates exactly what the Ministry of Agriculture intends to achieve during the next five year and what role will these new four hundred and fifty experts play in the implementation of that Plan?
• Four hundred and fifty new recruits may cost the State up to four and a half million dollars in salary and benefits. Is that amount included in the 2011 Budget?

These are the questions for which we need answers, your Excellency. I believe that we are entitled to them, considering that we, the citizens, are going to pay for the 4.5 million dollars.

But more importantly, we are entitled to read about the entire Agricultural Plan that you have prepared and learn how this important sector of our economy will be managed from 2010 to 2015.

The citizens of this country look forward to receive your answers, your Excellency

LES DEPENSES DES 4 DERNIERES ANNEES SONT A 100% LEGITIMES

Yes, Your Excellency,

The Budget expenditure of the past four years may have been 100% legitimate. We do not wish to query that point. Our concern is with the huge sums advanced (off budget?) to EDL. These sums  amounted at times at more than 16% of the entire budget expenditure of the State.

You are certainly aware, Your Excellency, that the last audited accounts of EDL date back to 2001. The international auditors who examined those accounts severely critized them in many respects.Since 2001 no accounts, to our knowledge, have been audited. Is'nt that strange?

So, how can we maintain that the budget expenditure of the past four years is 100% legitimate ?
Respectfully yours,
George Sabat (ACMI)