Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad expressed concern regarding the non-payment of electricity bills by Syrians and Palestinian refugees, as he stated that Lebanon and its citizens cannot continue to bear this burden.
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Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayad expressed deep concern about the unpaid electricity bills of Syrian and Palestinian refugees. He said he firmly believes that Lebanon, as a nation, and its citizens are unable to shoulder this burden any longer. According to Fayad, Lebanon is not under the obligation to cover the electricity expenses of displaced Syrians and Palestinian refugees, as individuals need to shoulder their responsibility in view of the cost of producing electricity.
Today, Lebanon finds itself in a critical state as far as the electricity sector is concerned. During a meeting at the Grand Serail chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Fayad urged international donors to address the pressing issue of refugee bills. He reminded Imran Raza, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, and Dorothy Klaus, the Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, of the importance of covering electricity consumption costs for refugees residing in Lebanon. The crucial question arises as to whether these organizations are prepared to bear these additional expenses.
Sources within the Ministry of Energy told This is Beirut that “there is a commitment to resolve this problem and seek solutions.” The sources noted that the minister has emphasized the urgency of dealing with the problem, emphasizing the necessity to maintain the fragile financial equilibrium of Electricity of Lebanon (EDL).
Two technical committees are to be formed to find solutions to the Palestinian and Syrian refugee bills.
Deadline extended to August 1
Shortly after taking office, Fayad demanded the installation of meters in the refugee camps. Some 900 meters have been installed, enabling EDL to collect electricity bills. “The refugees or international organizations have a deadline set for August 1 to pay such bills, or else the electricity supply (to refugee camps) will be interrupted,” the sources said. They further stated that Lebanon was no longer able to provide electricity to Palestinian refugees and displaced Syrians, stressing that “we cannot sustain power distribution unless production costs are covered.”
Colossal yet difficult to quantify
The absence of installed meters in the refugee camps poses a formidable challenge in accurately measuring household consumption and quantifying the significant losses incurred by both EDL and the Treasury. This challenge is further exacerbated by Lebanon’s severe shortage of reliable statistical data. Nonetheless, given that the Palestinians have been residing in the country for 75 years and Syrians for 13 years, it is only speculative to assess the magnitude of these numbers.
In this particular context, it is imperative to recall that a report jointly compiled by the Ministry of Finance and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 2020 assessed the economic impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on Lebanon from 2011 to 2018. The report estimated at $46.5 billion the cost of hosting Syrian refugees, with the electricity sector being particularly impacted.
In a nation gripped by economic hardships such as Lebanon, it is disheartening to have refugees granted free access to electricity, a privilege that many Lebanese citizens are deprived of even while they continue to bear the burden of electricity expenses.
