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In Lebanon, the electricity sector is one of the main causes of national frustration. It is pitiful to realize that 30 years after the end of the civil war, a country as small as Lebanon has failed to build power plants capable of providing its population with the needed electrical supply.
Over the span of 10 years, the expenditure on the electricity sector reached approximately $40 billion. The figure is staggering, yet the electricity is still nonexistent! That huge amount would have sufficed to build a minimum of 10 power production plants, knowing that the country only needs two!
In Lebanon, the problem lies in the fact that economic issues are seldom approached from a technical point of view, but rather embroiled in political contexts that serve one side or another and do not necessarily align with the higher national interest but often stand in stark contrast thereto.
The electricity issue is no exception to the rule. The unwavering determination by certain political forces to build a power plant in Selaata was unreasonable, especially since all economic feasibility studies, as well as technical, engineering and environmental ones deemed it unnecessary. However, the insistence on a Selaata plant came in a political context according to which each religious confession should have its own power plant!
Such an unhealthy scheme can obviously only happen in Lebanon. The mere fact that certain political parties would ask for the construction of power plants in their own areas of influence is revolting and stands as a divisive and dangerous approach that managed to derail the entire plan!
One thing is certain: patched-up solutions are no longer effective. In this day and age, supplying electricity is neither a scientific miracle nor an unachievable invention. Electricity has become available in the poorest and most wretched countries, some of which are generating power and selling it to their neighbors. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, things keep regressing as very little progress is made.
In this context, several questions arise: Is it acceptable for Beirut International Airport to reach a stage where it exclusively operates on power generators? What about public safety? What about the safety of civil aviation, the running of the control tower, as well as airport facilities, structures and passenger services? What happened to the famous project initiated – and subsequently abandoned by the Minister of Transportation in favor of building a new passenger terminal? Why not initiate a bidding process that leads to project implementation and boosts the treasury with substantial revenues?
The decades-long power failure in Lebanon has become a fathomless matter and stands as one of the main causes behind the national frustration. This is compounded with dozens of other issues, primarily the ongoing economic and financial collapse entering its fourth year with no foreseeable solutions and no light at the end of the dark tunnel. The indifference exhibited by some political factions through their selfish conduct, wherein they only take their own sectarian interests into account, has become a burden on the entire Lebanese population. This utter indifference is manifested through the deliberate paralysis of constitutional institutions and the obstruction of the election of a new president despite the fact that months have gone by since former President Michel Aoun left office, while the current caretaker government has limited authority and lacks the necessary quorum.
The Lebanese deserve a more equitable and straightforward governance, a moderate president who stands equidistant from all factions and an effective government that operates transparently for the country’s benefit, far from personal agendas and interests. They also deserve comprehensive solutions to the chronic problems inherited by governments.
A flourishing seasonal tourism as well as buzzing restaurants and beach resorts are not enough to assert that Lebanon is faring well. Despite our appreciation for the expatriates who remain loyal to their homeland and lend a helping hand in various ways, the burden to save Lebanon shouldn’t solely rest on their shoulders!
Responsibility begins and ends in Lebanon. As such, electricity stands as one of the multiple causes behind the national frustration!
