The Ministry of Energy and Water announced that the Legislative and Advisory Authority of the Ministry of Justice has approved the possibility for citizens to pay their electricity bills in cash US dollars or in Lebanese pounds, according to each citizen's preference. This comes as per a consultation requested by Electricité du Liban from the authority, which was received on September 20, 2023.
The Ministry of Energy clarified in a statement that "this action requires a decision from the Board of Directors of Electricité du Liban to take effect. The institution is currently preparing this decision, which will help address the issue of securing liquidity in foreign currency to pay its dues in dollars or pounds."
It added, "This will provide flexibility for citizens to choose the currency that suits them for payment, especially since the dollar exchange rate currently used in issuing the bill is about 103,000 pounds per dollar, which will encourage citizens to pay in dollars for savings purposes, while also providing the institution with the necessary dollars to successfully implement the electricity plan and increase supply."
