The payment of electricity bills to Lebanon’s Water Offices was the focus of a meeting between the caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, the chairman of Electricity of Lebanon (EDL), Kamal Hayek, the general managers of the Water Offices and the director of the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance. A collection campaign led by EDL, with the support of the Ministry of Finance, has been launched with the Water Offices that benefited from a “Treasury advance” to settle their unpaid electricity bills over the period from November 1, 2022, the date of implementation of the new tariff, to June 30, 2023.
It is expected that this initiative will replenish EDL’s account at the Central Bank by around LBP 4,500 billion ($50 million) in payment of dues owed by the four Water Offices that are the largest consumers of electricity in the public sector.
The public electricity supplier will also collect LBP 7,000 billion ($80 million) after completing the implementation of this mechanism in all public departments and institutions.
Fayad stressed the importance of this measure because “it ensures equal treatment between citizens and all state institutions, and contributes to strengthening the financial equilibrium of EDL, enabling it to improve power supply and services.”
