Written by: Karim Hammam
The Egypt 2026 Forum witnessed a transparent dialogue regarding the financial challenges facing the energy sector, as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi directed direct questions about the monthly revenues of the Ministry of Electricity and its position on paying dues to the petroleum sector. This discussion took place within the framework of a broader review of the debt file of the electricity sector owed to the petroleum sector, and the cost of providing the fuel necessary to operate power plants.
Details of revenues and fuel cost challenges
During the session, President Sisi asked the Minister of Electricity, Dr. Mahmoud Esmat, to clarify the monthly revenue collected by the ministry from selling electricity directly to citizens. The minister explained that the ministry generates monthly revenues of about 20 billion Egyptian pounds from sales operations.
Conversely, the minister revealed that the cost of natural gas supplied to power plants reaches 25 billion Egyptian pounds per month, which means that monthly receipts are less than the actual value of the fuel used in power generation.
Status of paying dues
When President Sisi asked the minister whether the Ministry of Electricity pays its fuel dues to the petroleum sector regularly, the minister confirmed that these dues are not currently being paid. This situation prompted the President to emphasize the importance of transparency in presenting the sector's financial position to citizens, explaining the volume of burdens the state bears to provide fuel needs, including securing the foreign currency necessary for imports in light of the continuous fluctuations witnessed by global energy markets.
