Hayek said that several companies have expressed their interest in bidding for securing barges, calling on the Ministry of Water and Power to invite bids shortly. He said that there is a possibility to lease the barges in August if the auction is launched soon.

Hayek said that privatizing the entire electricity sector is unlikely, highlighting other options that the government can tap in this regard. “The government can allow private companies to produce power, and then Electricite Du Liban (EDL) can buy the amounts of power it needs,” he said.

Hayek said that there is a critical need to build new power plants to fill the power gap and deliver power to people in following years. He said that the Minister of Water and Power, Gebran Bassil, is considering an option to build a new power plant in the North for $700 million with a capacity of 700 megawatts.

Hayek highlighted the importance of privatizing the whole telecommunications sector. He said that this option will secure additional revenues for the government which will continue to receive a share from revenues after privatizing the sector,” he said.