Meeting between UNRWA, LPDC, EDL, MEW and MoI on electricity provision and collection of fees from Palestine Refugee camps

Meeting between UNRWA, LPDC, Electricité du Liban, Ministry of Energy and Water and Ministry of Interior on the provision of electricity and collection of fees from Palestine Refugee camps

UNRWA informs that a high-level meeting was held today between representatives of UNRWA, LPDC, Electricité du Liban and the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Ministry of Interior on the provision of electricity and collection of fees from Palestine Refugee camps. The meeting was headed by the chairman of LPDC Dr. Bassel Hassan and attended by the Director of UNRWA Affairs, Lebanon Dr. Dorothee Klaus, the advisor to the Minister of Energy and Water resources Khaled Nakhleh, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Electricité du Liban, Kamal Hayek, and members of the Ministerial Committee Judge Ayman Ahmed, Brigadier General Muhammad D. Sabaa, Brigadier General Sami Nassif, Colonel Osama Badran. An agreement was reached between the parties to develop tender documents before the 31st of August to contract a company responsible for the collection of electricity consumption fees from the 12 Palestine Refugee camps in Lebanon.

Although under UNRWA mandate, the Agency is not liable for the payment of the fees of what individual consumption in camps, UNRWA acknowledges that there is an administrative gap in this area that must be filled in the interest of Palestine refugees in Lebanon and the Lebanese host government. The Agency on a temporary basis will support arrangements for management of a contractor in coordination with the LPDC and the Palestinian Joint Action Committee to ensure that the electricity bills are collected. A follow-up meeting will be held next week between UNRWA, EDL and the LPDC to further discuss further technical details.

“We have always been informed that the Palestine Refugees are ready to pay for the individual consumption of electricity in the camps but there is a need to find an agreement on the technicalities of handling this in view of the importance of this issue for the Lebanese government, its citizens and the Palestine Refugees. UNRWA is ready to play a role in facilitating such an agreement between all the concerned”, said Dr. Dorothee Klaus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon. Following the meeting, the Joint Palestinian Coalition was informed of the agreement reached by the concerned parties.