The destroyed façade of Electricité du Liban's headquarters in Beirut. (Credit: Joao Sousa/L'Orient Today)
BEIRUT — An audit of the state electricity company is among the reforms the World Bank has requested before considering funding Lebanon's worn-down electricity sector, said the bank's regional vice president Ferid Belhaj on Tuesday.
Public provision of electricity in Lebanon has been poor since the country's 1975-90 civil war and has further deteriorated over the past three years with the financial crisis debilitating the government's ability to secure fuel.
According to a statement released by Mikati's office, Belhaj told the caretaker premier that Lebanon needs to audit Electricity du Liban (EDL), activate its newly announced regulatory authority and recover provision costs. Mikati did not comment.
In the statement, Belhaj is quoted as saying "these are the three conditions and if they are implemented, the World Bank is ready to reconsider the issue of financing the electricity sector in Lebanon."
Lebanon has signed deals to receive electricity from Jordan and natural gas from Egypt, both via Syria, which would add up to 700 megawatts of power to the country's grid, increasing the power supply by several hours.
The World Bank said it would finance the agreements if Lebanon enacts long-awaited power sector reforms.
State power stations are almost entirely out of function and fuel subsidy cuts have caused the operating costs of private generators to skyrocket.
Human Rights Watch said last week that decades of neglect, mismanagement and alleged corruption have made power inaccessible to many in Lebanon - which in turn exacerbated poverty and limited people's access to necessities like food, water and health care.