Kataeb Party leader and MP Samy Gemayel on Thursday called for a radical restructuring of Lebanon's electricity sector, proposing its decentralised privatisation and the eventual closure of state-run Électricité du Liban (EDL), along with an end to public spending on the utility.

Speaking during a legislative session, Gemayel argued that decades of experience had demonstrated the state's inability to address the sector's deep-rooted and longstanding problems, making a fundamental change in its management necessary.

He began by expressing confidence in Energy Minister Joe Saddi and praising his competence, but stressed that the challenges facing the electricity sector could not be resolved without a structural overhaul.

"We have confidence in Minister Joe Saddi, and he is highly competent. But experience has shown that the accumulated problems in the electricity sector require a fundamental change in the way it is managed," Gemayel said.

"Why don't we hand the electricity sector over to the private sector?" he asked, arguing that private companies have the capacity to handle power generation, distribution and bill collection, while the state has repeatedly demonstrated its inability to manage these functions effectively.

Gemayel pointed to the experience of Électricité de Zahlé as a successful example of private-sector involvement in electricity provision. The company generates its own power and achieves a bill collection rate of around 95%, he said.

The privatisation of the electricity sector, Gemayel argued, would help curb corruption and waste, while putting an end to what he described as the disastrous situation Lebanon's electricity sector has reached.