Lebanon's electricity sector regulator: Appointment delayed by twelve years

By the end of March 2023, the application process for the regulatory body of the electricity sector, which had been extended since mid-January, will be closed. 

The appointment was supposed to take place twelve years ago. 

The Ministry of Energy has prepared the terms and conditions for applying for this position in cooperation with the World Bank and the MEDREG organization, which includes regulatory bodies in Mediterranean countries.
 
They have developed the organizational structure for managing the regulatory body and distributing roles within based on best global practices.

LBCI's sources confirmed that the concerned party had received around sixty resumes. They will be reviewed by a committee composed of Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad, the president of MEDREG, and one of the Energy Minister's advisors specialized in electricity affairs. 

After the initial evaluation, interviews will be conducted with the qualified candidates, including those with experience abroad, and then the names will be vetted according to the assessment.

However, will the deadline be extended to accept more applications? 

A source in the ministry responded that it is related to the CVs and how well they match the requirements, and the evaluation process may take one to two months. 

After the evaluation is completed, Caretaker Minister of Energy Walid Fayyad will submit a recommendation to the Council of Ministers to make the necessary decision and appoint the committee. 

The World Bank insisted on expediting the issuance of a decree to appoint the committee members as part of a transparent selection process based on competence while ensuring that the committee operates in a self-sufficient and independent manner.

The Ministry of Energy is still insisting on its demand to make the necessary amendments to the law by the Parliament, especially in terms of clarifying and separating the powers between the committee responsible for regulating the sector through issuing licenses and setting tariffs on one hand, and the state which remains responsible for setting sector policy and determining the framework for private sector participation on the other hand. 

The ministry also prefers to amend the number of committee members to six instead of five, as stated in the law, in accordance with the requirements of Consensualism, which stipulates equal representation in first-class positions or their equivalent.