Beirut denies Iraqi fuel mismanagement allegations

Shafaq News / Lebanon's caretaker Minister of Energy, Waleed Fayyad, refuted on Monday the information suggesting mismanagement in the quantities of "Iraqi fuel" reaching the country for operating power plants.

This comes in response to a statement by the Progressive Socialist Party, which claimed that the amount reaching the plants "does not exceed half of what Iraq sends."

In a press statement, Fayyad affirmed that "the quantities exiting Iraq and arriving in Lebanon are accurately documented in schedules and numbers obtained by Iraq as well."

The Minister of Energy pointed out that "the quantities entering from Iraq are loaded onto ships and delivered to the winning company of tenders, which are now in the final stage, executed according to the public procurement law."

He added, "It is true that the quantity reaching the plants is half or less than that which exits Iraq, but this is not due to mismanagement. Rather, it is because of the difference between the type of Iraqi fuel and the fuel required by the Lebanese plants, which must meet specific conditions in line with European standards. Thus, they are exchanged in tenders, taking into account the difference in value."

As an example, he explained, "If Iraq sends 80,000 tons of fuel known as 'High Sulfur,' and its price per ton is about $375, while the price of the diesel required by Lebanese plants is $750 per ton, it means that every two tons of Iraqi fuel are equivalent to one ton required by the Lebanese plants."

Last Friday, the Progressive Socialist Party in Lebanon called in a statement for verification regarding claims that the actual quantities received by Lebanon from this fuel "do not exceed half of what Iraq sends." They expressed doubts about the figures and data related to the quantities of Iraqi fuel reaching the plants, noting that Lebanon imports significantly larger amounts than its needs.