Cabinet meeting focuses on electricity, housing and digital transition

BEIRUT — A Cabinet meeting on Thursday at the Grand Serail focused on technical and economic issues, with the government approving measures on electricity reform, digital transition and housing assistance while avoiding discussion of President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Washington and its political implications.

The government approved a new electricity sector policy document presented by Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi, who also called for a formal commitment to repay around $250 million owed to Électricité du Liban (EDL).

"The government approved the document we presented regarding the electricity plan," Saddi said after the meeting. He added that he had requested the debt be repaid in monthly installments of $50 million, warning that he would consider further action if the state failed to commit.

Information Minister Paul Morcos said the Cabinet approved most items on the agenda. He announced that the government had asked the Telecommunications Ministry to sign an agreement for Lebanon’s connection to the Medusa fiber-optic submarine cable, in coordination with Ogero, with the finance ministry tasked with securing the necessary funds.

The Cabinet also approved a $150 million loan agreement with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to support digital transformation, e-governance and digital public services.

Morcos added that the government approved housing allowances for residents of severely damaged and high-risk buildings in Beirut and other regions. It also extended the contract with the Al-Fayhaa Union of Municipalities for cleaning, waste collection and related services.

The meeting, which began at 3 p.m., also examined issues related to public sector employees, including a possible special allowance for civil servants, municipal employees and National Social Security Fund workers if 2026 budget allocations prove insufficient. The Cabinet also reviewed a draft decree on compensation for additional teaching hours at the Lebanese University.

Aoun’s Washington visit not discussed

President Joseph Aoun’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump was not discussed during the Cabinet session, according to a ministerial source cited by L’Orient-Le Jour.

A minister said the absence of the issue could be linked to the fact that the meeting was held at the Grand Serail rather than at the presidential palace. The minister added that the Amal-Hezbollah alliance appeared keen to avoid topics that could create political tensions, saying a phone call between Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri before the session may have contributed to that decision.

Aoun and First Lady Neemat Aoun returned Wednesday evening from Washington, where the president met Trump to discuss the framework agreement between Beirut and Tel Aviv and push for an Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories.

While several officials and lawmakers praised the visit, Hezbollah criticized it, describing it as a failure and accusing the authorities of leading Lebanon into "a dead end" through "successive concessions" that undermine state sovereignty and reflect "dependence and submission to foreign tutelage."