By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 28 February 2013:
The Prime Minister Ali Zeidan at the regular Thursday press conference opened up by attacking . . .[restrict]as “untrue” what he said were some of the stories being posted on the internet.
Zeidan, who arrived late having kept the press waiting due to a police graduation ceremony at the southern border of Tripoli (Salah al-Deen), was referring to the “chatter” on the net that he was to put the Public Projects Authority under his direct control.
He was criticized for wanting too much power and centralization by intending to control the Public Projects Authority directly under his office.
But Zeidan pointed out that the Public Projects Authority was under the control of the Prime Minister’s office (the General People’s Committee) at one stage during the old regime and was subsequently transferred on a temporary basis to the Ministry of Housing.
The Prime Minister was keen to put across the fact that the issue has been dealt with in an amicable basis within the government and with his Minister of Housing, who he said had just been presenting his short term plan for his sector in a Cabinet meeting.
Zeidan said that he had consulted widely about the matter, including the “20 Committee”, and that it was concluded that it would be too much for the Housing Ministry to handle all projects.
It was then decided that housing projects would be under the Housing and Infrastructure Board (HIB) and that other projects would be under the Public Projects Authority – under the Prime Minister’s office.
Ultimately, Zeidan added, that it was within his duties and powers to so and this was his decision. It was a decision taken unanimously in Cabinet he stressed and that his government was confident and clear about its aims and policies.
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