BEIRUT: The Cabinet opposed Tuesday a proposal by Energy and Water Minister Gebran Bassil to reduce hours of power supply in the capital.

Sources told The Daily Star that Bassil proposed allocating power to Beirut for the same time as other Lebanese districts, or keeping the same level of power supply in Beirut in return for raising electricity tariffs in the capital. Apart from Beirut, where power rationing is only three hours per day, power cuts in other Lebanese districts ranges between eight and 16 hours.

The sources said that the Cabinet opposed Bassil’s proposal and asked him to prepare an updated study that includes statistics from 2012 rather than 2010.

Previous Cabinets have upheld three-hour power rationing in Beirut since it is the commercial capital and to prevent air pollution that would result from increased use of generators.