Lebanon electricity officials acknowledge unfair electricity costs, promise change

Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad and Electricité du Liban (EDL) Chairman Kamal Hayek have acknowledged that some Lebanese citizens pay higher electricity rates compared to others who don't pay at all.

However, they have promised that this situation will not continue, as there will be an increase in power supply and a reduction in generator bills.

The ongoing campaign to remove the encroachments on the electricity networks, which is still in areas that can be described as safe, is progressing, and the compliant will be rewarded, and the violators will be punished.

Furthermore, the last electricity bill issued in Lebanon was $36 million at a rate of LBP 52,320 per dollar, and $14 million has been collected so far.

EDL is working to reduce non-technical waste, particularly in Palestinian and Syrian refugee camps, by requiring official institutions to pay their bills.

Fayyad stated that there is a "relatively small success" for the emergency electricity plan, saying that the reforms represent a corrective step in the right direction.

He then stressed that the main problem remains with the Lebanese central bank on two axes: First, securing funds to purchase fuel, and second, converting Lebanese pounds to dollars through a mechanism that the central bank has not yet implemented.

This mechanism involves purchasing Lebanese pounds from EDL at the Sayrafa exchange rate plus 20% when issuing invoices.

However, in addition to issuing new bills, the opening of credits for fuel ships is also awaiting confirmation.

Fayyad and Hayek welcomed citizens' efforts to reduce subscription costs and considered it a step towards cost-cutting.
 
They also expressed great appreciation for EDL staff and confirmed that there is a legal solution to ease the burden of electricity bills but not a complete exemption from payment.