October 14, 2026
The Minister of Energy’s threat to resign opens a discussion about alternatives… and Nema Avram as a possible administrative and economic option
Beirut –
Energy Minister Joe Al-Saddi announced his retirement from attending Cabinet sessions, amid information indicating that he was seriously considering resigning, against the backdrop of sharp disagreements related to fuel financing, EDL dues, and the tariff file. This threat of resignation raised questions in the Lebanese street about the feasibility of remaining a minister who did not succeed in providing radical solutions to the electricity crisis centered around promises and justifications.
The current debate revolves around the ability to manage this file with a different mentality, especially since the Ministry of Energy has always needed an approach based on governance, accountability, and investment, away from crises and political debates. In this context, the name of the representative and businessman, Nehme Frem, is being proposed to take over the portfolio, based on his industrial, economic and engineering experience, his management of the “INDEVCO” industrial group and his presidency of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, in addition to what he is known for being a clean hand, with an emphasis on the necessity of translating any potential ministerial experience into transparency and tangible results.
Avram had proposed an integrated reform plan for the electricity sector, based on the transition from fuel to gas, activating solar energy and the net metering system, in addition to opening the way for the private sector to produce and sell electricity according to clear rules. His plan estimates that switching to gas could save about $3 billion annually, while combining solar energy with private generators will achieve additional savings of up to $1.3 billion. It also included calls for auditing production and fuel consumption figures, and separating between waste resulting from poor efficiency and that resulting from corruption, in addition to his support for restarting the Zouk and Jiyeh plants with an efficiency exceeding 45% and a production cost estimated at about 24 cents per kilowatt hour.
The introduction of Avram’s name carries historical dimensions linked to the ministry itself. His father, the late George Ephrem, had assumed the Ministry of Water and Electrical Resources in the government of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 1992, and presented an integrated plan to develop the sector that was aborted due to political differences, which led to his transfer to the Ministry of State and then his dismissal from the government in 1993, leaving the Lebanese people paying for more than three decades the price of obstructing solutions.
With Minister Al-Sadi threatening to leave, observers are demanding that the next stage be based on clear conditions for success that include: a declared plan, specific deadlines, precise calculations, activating the regulatory body independently, and holding obstructionists accountable. Nehme Ephrem is considered a potential serious choice for this mission due to his experience in managing financial institutions and sectors, especially since the resignation is not considered a loss if it opens the door to a real solution that relieves the Lebanese of the burden of generator bills and moves the electricity sector to the path of solution.
