The World Bank continues to delay its position on the loan file for Lebanon to finance electricity procurement from Jordan and gas from Egypt necessary for operating power plants in Lebanon, as reported by the newspaper "Al-Akhbar." The newspaper indicated that in recent days, multiple meetings were held with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Energy Minister Walid Fayad, none of which yielded clear results. The new regional director for the Mashreq (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran), Jean-Christophe Carrière, remained silent when it came to the practical steps Lebanon has taken to obtain the required funding for gas and electricity from Egypt and Jordan.
The newspaper continued that at one point, Carrière's response was that resolving these matters is somewhat linked to the World Bank and IMF meetings scheduled for next November. Although Carrière acknowledged that the loan project for Lebanon is part of a strategic framework for the World Bank's operations in Lebanon, the actual progress on the ground fundamentally undermines this acknowledgment. He noted that Lebanon is not serious about this file, despite maintaining gas and electricity lines and finalizing contracts with Jordan and Egypt. The almost sole excuse provided by the World Bank relates to the regulatory agency for electricity; however, Carrière was informed by Fayad about the work of the committee addressing this situation. This prompted Carrière to inquire about the tariffs and revenue plan for financing the new costs, to which Fayad clarified that the Cabinet approved a power plan that includes raising tariffs in line with increased electricity supply.
