Lebanon's state-owned electricity provider has begun cutting power to government offices, public institutions and municipalities over unpaid bills, in a sweeping campaign aimed at recovering mounting debts and securing revenues needed to keep its operations running.

Electricité du Liban (EDL) said on Monday that several public entities had failed to settle their outstanding bills or contact the utility to arrange payment plans. Some institutions had their electricity restored after making partial payments and agreeing to repay the remaining amounts in instalments.

The utility warned that supplies would be disconnected again if the entities concerned failed to honour their repayment agreements or pay their current bills.

The measures affect a wide range of public bodies, including ministries, government administrations, water authorities and municipalities, against the backdrop of a mounting financial crisis at EDL caused in part by accumulated public-sector debts.

An initial list obtained by Asharq al-Awsat included the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, the Directorate General of Urban Planning, the Directorate General of Education at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, land registry offices and the Directorate General of Customs. Electricity subscriptions held by the Ministry of Telecommunications in several regions were also listed.

Lebanese media reports separately said the disconnection campaign, or notices warning of possible cuts, covered the parliament building, the Grand Serail — the prime minister's official headquarters in Beirut — and the Finance Ministry's VAT administration building. The Directorate General of Real Estate Affairs, several Internal Security Forces facilities and regional water authorities were also reportedly affected. It was not immediately clear whether all the institutions named had actually lost power.

An informed source told Asharq al-Awsat that the decision was not intended to punish public institutions or disrupt their work, but to ensure compliance with the law and establish regular payment of electricity bills.

"The primary objective is not the power disconnection itself, but rather to push public institutions to assume their financial responsibilities and settle their accumulated obligations on a regular basis, instead of continuing to pile up debts and resorting to temporary fixes whenever the crisis intensifies," the source said.

Beirut Airport avoided a power cut after the Civil Aviation Authority reached an agreement with EDL. Under the arrangement, the authority will pay part of its accumulated debt, reschedule the outstanding balance and ensure that new electricity bills are settled regularly.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation's accumulated liabilities reportedly stand at around $22.8 million, according to figures circulated on public-sector debts.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Telecommunications said it had paid electricity bills totaling $5.199 million. An additional $1.275 million in bills had been submitted for payment through a Treasury advance authorized by a government decree.

The ministry also said telecommunications operators Alfa and Touch, along with state-owned operator Ogero, regularly paid their electricity bills without delay.

EDL's outstanding receivables from public administrations and institutions are estimated at around $250 million. The utility needs consistent revenue collection to finance fuel purchases and keep its power plants operating.

The arrears have accumulated over years of irregular payments and have been compounded by higher electricity tariffs and limited access to funds at some public administrations. EDL now faces the dual challenge of recovering longstanding debts while ensuring that current consumption is paid for.