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Lebanon suffers from corruption in the electricity sector (Hussein Baydoun)
The Joint Parliamentary Commissions decided in a session held today in Parliament to grant the EDL an advance of $ 200 million from the Central Bank after the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist parties objected and voted against the redundant bill presented by the National Movement. Al-Hurr, led by Rep. Gebran Bassil. The committees reduced the value of the advance requested by the representatives of the Free Patriotic Movement to the Electricity Corporation from 1.5 billion Lebanese pounds, equivalent to one billion dollars, to 200 million dollars, and made an amendment to the proposed text, to that the financial contribution is used to cover the purchase of fuel only.
The deputies who voted with the reduction of the advance believe that the amount is already sufficient for a period of two or three months until the formation of a new government that establishes a clear and transparent reform program that will regulate the electricity sector, for which the International support depends on a number of conditions including the fight against corruption and waste.
The objection of the “Lebanese Forces” and “Progressive Socialist” parties stems from their rejection of what they described as blackmail by giving the Lebanese a choice between obscurity or progress, which is nothing more than a new assignment to be followed by contributions. subsequent financial statements. and a recurrence of failure to solve the electricity crisis after years of mismanagement that produced inclusive darkness.
Ghassan Baydoun, former chief investment officer of the Ministry of Energy and Water, told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that “it is natural to provide a minimum amount in a country that is in a state of bankruptcy,” noting that “those responsible The electricity sector knows very well that they have reached a great dilemma. And a dead end in the Ministry of Energy, the product of poor management and an approach that does not comply with the law or transparency, but rather proceeds according to practices based on fraud, fraud, pressure and extortion “.
Baydoun believes that “the agreement to reduce the advance is not tied only to the inability of the state to provide the necessary money, but to the fact that there are demands to implement laws and take very obvious measures, including the formation of the Electricity Regulatory Authority. , which is also an international European demand as a condition for aid “.
It states that “the problem is how to secure the funds after approving the advance, since the Central Bank of Lebanon had announced the depletion of its dollar reserves in addition to the depositors’ money that it could not extend its hand, and that are always subject to to waste and pillage, unless you have the Bank of Lebanon. “What we don’t know.”
It indicates that “all the cash advances that were delivered to pay the fuel deficit came in violation of the Public Accounting Law, since all the treatments were marred by fraud and deception, in addition to the fact that the treasury is bankrupt and there are no assets in to return the value of the advance “.
Baydoun emphasizes that “there is a real fear of damaging the reserves left by the Central Bank that belong to the depositors. In return, the solution must begin with the implementation of laws and restore the electricity of Lebanon to financial regularity, and not dispose of no penny of open credit outside the price of fuel, and culminating the process of annexing Establishments to the General Directorate of Petroleum, which unfortunately has become a backyard for political and labor agreements, and other transparent solutions and treatments, provided that The Electricity Corporation submits its regular accounts and informs the Audit Office and Parliament of the result thereof, respectively.
For his part, an Information International researcher, Muhammad Shams al-Din, told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that the sector’s deficit reached 40 billion dollars from 1992 to the end of 2020, and is due to three main reasons . The first is related to the fact that the rate is lower than the cost, since it has been fixed and fixed since July 1994 and represents less than 10% of the cost of the electricity subsidy, which is estimated at $ 900 million annually, depending on the global economy. oil prices.
It is noteworthy that the electricity distributed is either stolen or its bills are not paid, since there is a technical waste of 13%, and the cost is estimated at 250 million dollars. As for the third reason, it is due to fuel deals, and the waste is estimated at $ 150 million annually.
Shams al-Din believes that the problem with electricity lies in subsidies, since for 25 years no one has been able to stop it and raise the price of electricity, which achieves a financial balance and reduces consumption significantly.
He adds that “Lebanon needs 3000 megawatts per year, but in case of increasing the rate and stopping the theft, the need will be reduced to 2,200 megawatts, which will increase the electricity supply. Therefore, the electricity crisis needs a decision and audacity in the taking of and implement it “.
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