Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi defended his ministry’s energy policy, stressing that Lebanon “has nothing to hide” and is working to stabilize electricity production despite severe financial and technical constraints.
In an interview with LBCI, Saddi said that public institutions in the South, including Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) and the regional water authority, continue to operate. “We have not abandoned the South,” he affirmed, noting that EDL has asked the Finance Ministry to review reimbursements for residents who paid their bills before the 2025 exemption decision.
Saddi pointed out that Treasury advances made over the past 16 years, including interest, “would have been enough to light all of Lebanon.” He said this mechanism has been halted in favor of direct financing: “We stopped relying on Treasury advances and began purchasing fuel directly using revenues from bill collection.”
The minister expressed gratitude to Baghdad for its support under the ongoing energy agreement but warned that Lebanon “cannot bear any additional debt,” which already amounts to around $1.2 billion. The deal with Iraq remains central to Lebanon’s energy strategy, he added, despite payment delays affecting its implementation.
With current generation capacity and a steady fuel supply, Saddi said EDL can provide between seven and nine hours of electricity per day in summer, and up to ten hours in winter.
He also reported that EDL’s bill collection rate has reached 60 percent of total production value, a significant improvement given the country’s economic conditions.
Saddi called on the Cabinet to lift the exclusivity previously granted to Dubai-based firms for fuel quality testing and to authorize the appointment of an independent monitoring company during fuel loading operations. He further clarified that Lebanon’s purchases of Russian fuel comply with international sanctions and price cap regulations.
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