November 5, 2026
The decision of the Electricité du Liban to cut off supply to public institutions and departments that defaulted on payment generated immediate revenues worth $28 million, out of a total dues amounting to $298 million. The Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Nassib Nasr, confirmed that these measures will include all those who abstain from paying without exception.
This came during a meeting between Nasr and economic bodies headed by former Minister Mohamed Choucair at the headquarters of the Beirut and Mount Lebanon Chamber, in the presence of World Bank representative Mohamed Zakaria Qamh, where the reality of the electricity sector and plans for its reform were discussed.
Nasr explained that the corporation is working to reconsider the electricity tariff and adopt a moving mechanism linked to international oil prices, pointing out that the high cost of fuel and infringements on the network represent the most prominent challenges facing the sector, in addition to the severe shortage of electricity meters that require completing their installation to enhance collection.
At the level of expansion projects, Nasr revealed progress in the Qatari project aimed at increasing electricity production by about 2,980 megawatts, indicating that the shift towards using gas would reduce production costs by between 25 and 30 percent, in addition to studying the option of importing electricity from Syria at a lower cost than local production.
For his part, the representative of the World Bank, Muhammad Zakaria Qamh, announced that the institution’s loan amounting to $250 million will be allocated to developing the electrical network, establishing a new control center, and rehabilitating the generation plants on the Litani River, in addition to supporting financial and institutional reforms.
In turn, former Minister Muhammad Shukair stressed the importance of improving the electrical supply and reducing its cost to enable institutions to continue and compete. At the conclusion of the meeting, the economic bodies issued a statement declaring their full support for the EDL’s measures aimed at stopping waste and pursuing those who default on payments, calling for accelerating the pace of reforms to end the crisis and reduce its burden on citizens and institutions.
