As mounting piles of uncollected garbage reappear in several districts of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the long-standing controversy over the state’s management of the waste sector has flared up once again. At the center of the debate are delayed payments to the companies responsible for waste collection, treatment, and landfill operations, delays that some media outlets have blamed on the Ministry of Finance.
In response, the Finance Ministry issued a statement on Monday pushing back against what it described as “inaccurate reports” and sought to clarify its position.
According to the statement, Finance Minister Yassin Jaber had previously presented a comprehensive and detailed briefing of the waste management file to the Council of Ministers, outlining the financial, logistical, and environmental dimensions of the issue.
At a cabinet meeting, ministers acknowledged the potential for serious health and environmental repercussions if the situation continues to deteriorate. The Council consequently instructed the Ministry of Finance to continue processing the payments owed to the companies handling waste services, just as it had done previously.
In the same decision, the cabinet also tasked the ministry with developing sustainable funding mechanisms for future waste-related contracts. This could include the creation of a dedicated budget line or even the introduction of legislation to allow for advance payments on obligations linked to the waste sector. The Ministry of Environment is expected to collaborate closely on this front.
Upon receiving the official directive, Minister Jaber signed off on the necessary payment documents and forwarded them to the relevant departments for execution, the ministry’s press release concluded.
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