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An Iraqi power expert accused the Electricity Ministry of issuing false figures with regard to electricity output, status of power stations and power imports.

Isam al-Khalisi said information and statistics by the ministry were "inaccurate and contradictory". The expert made the remarks to Azzaman in the aftermath of press reports claiming that Iraq was no capable of producing half of its power needs estimated at 10,000 megawatts.

A most recent report attributed to Adel Mahdi, the ministry's adviser, said power output had soared to 5,302 megawatts - almost equivalent to pre-war output.

"The adviser's (Mahdi's) figures contradict statistics issued by the ministry in 2006 for example and a press conference by the minister himself earlier this month," Khalisi said.

He said conditions of power plants and power generations were "extremely bad" to the extent that Baghdad's six million people now barely get two-hour supply every day.

"They (the ministry) want to give the impression that power generating capacity was on the rise, but that is not true," he said. He said the ministry was even adding imports of 340 megawatts from Iran and Turkey to domestic output.

Khalisi said the story of electricity in Iraq was a stark example of "maladministration" and unwise use of resources. He said the U.S. alone has so far poured nearly $5.5 billion into the electricity sector while government allocations have reached $3.5 billion.

"The outcome does not match the amount of money spent on electricity," Khalisi said.

He said he had written to the government a detailed report on the conditions in the ministry and the current status of power generating system in the country but has so far received no answer.

The ministry says power shortages will proceed until 2012, the year it expects a surplus in output with power generating capacity hitting 20,000 megawatts.