PRISM, Conferences

PRISM Townhall Meetings: Bridging Municipal Horizons Through Private Sector Collaboration

13:06 | 31 October 2023LIMS output
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Bridging Municipal Horizons Through Private Sector Collaboration

Lebanon’s economic turmoil has precipitated the breakdown of public services, notably in electricity and solid waste management. This situation has cast a pervasive pall over businesses nationwide, driving many to insolvency. Faced with the government’s incapacity to deliver those services, attention has turned to municipalities as potential providers. However, municipalities find themselves grappling with the same economic challenges plaguing the government.

Project PRISM (Private Initiatives to Service Municipalities) organized a series of townhall meetings, in cooperation with business associations, aimed to underscore the private sector’s potential in delivering municipal services. The first townhall took place on October 5 at the Chamber of Commerce of Tripoli and the North of Lebanon. The second was organized on October 26 at the Beirut chamber, and the third on October 31 in the Jounieh chamber.

Despite the prevailing challenges posed by the ongoing war in the South of Lebanon, these townhall sessions proved to be resounding successes. Drawing together around 60 influential stakeholders at each event, including presidents of municipal councils, representatives from businesses, members of parliament, active citizens, and media representatives. The resilience displayed by Project PRISM and the engaged participants signals a promising trajectory for future cooperation in addressing crucial facets of municipal services.

PRISM advocated for transitioning from the taxpayer model to the user payer model. The model envisions the establishment of local solar farms by the private sector. The energy generated by these farms will be distributed through the existing microgrids of “subscription generators”. This hybrid model, demonstrated successfully in towns like Toula, combines renewable energy with a generator, delivering cleaner electricity at half the cost. In solid waste management, the private sector can provide the service at the municipal level, mirroring the successful model in Beit Meri. The meeting also streamlined the collaboration process between businesses and municipalities and shed light on the legal framework. This presentation garnered interest and enthusiasm, with numerous municipalities and private enterprises expressing a strong desire to seek LIMS guidance in navigating the legal landscape.