Lebanon is preparing to hold long-overdue municipal elections — a rare democratic exercise in a country grappling with institutional paralysis. For many, these elections represent more than a routine vote: they are a chance to decentralise power, inject energy into local governance, and crucially, tap private-sector dynamism to restore failing public services.

LIMS, through our Private Initiatives to Service Municipalities (PRISM 24) program, sees this electoral moment as a pivotal opening for reform. The message is clear: municipalities must be empowered to act — not merely as administrative bodies, but as catalysts for investment, efficiency, and innovation. PRISM 24 argues that Lebanon’s municipalities, too long sidelined by the central government, should actively engage private companies in essential services such as electricity, water, waste collection, and sewage treatment. A simplified pamphlet produced by the initiative demystifies the complex legal framework and outlines how local authorities can attract private capital and expertise into these critical sectors.

To fully unlock this potential, however, legislative reform is needed. PRISM 24 calls for new laws that streamline municipal powers and remove outdated obstacles. A prime example is water resource management. Currently, Lebanon’s public water authorities sit atop substantial underground reserves but lack both the capacity and incentives to extract and distribute them. The result: chronic shortages and widespread public frustration. Transferring authority to municipalities would open the door to private investment and more responsive, demand-driven solutions.

In waste management, PRISM 24 advocates for a model that embraces market competition and user-based pricing. Private firms should be allowed — and incentivised — to compete for customers to collect and transport solid waste, not to landfills but to recycling facilities. A “pay-as-you-throw” system would encourage responsible consumption, cover operational costs, and dramatically improve environmental outcomes.

Public services should not be the exclusive domain of bloated, underperforming state agencies. The private sector can deliver cleaner streets, safer water, and more reliable electricity — at lower cost and with greater accountability. The current municipal election can be an opportunity to lay the groundwork for reviving the local economy. By enabling competition in essential services and attracting private investment, municipalities can stimulate job creation, support local entrepreneurs, and breathe life back into stagnating towns and villages.

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