The following statement was issued by the Ministry of Energy and Water: "On the eve of the Cabinet session, electricity activist Yahya Mawlood spoke via the X platform about what he called a 'strange and bizarre item on the session's agenda,' which is the Ministry of Energy and Water's request for exceptional approval to grant unloading permits for the cargoes of all sea vessels loaded with fuel, destined for the energy production plants of the Electricité du Liban (EDL), to be supplied and received during the period from August 2026 to October 2026, based on the laboratory analysis results issued at the loading ports and pertaining to the representative samples taken from the cargoes of the aforementioned sea vessels. Mawlood considered that this item could facilitate fraud and give suppliers a greater margin to escape responsibility. This was followed by a string of similar news reports to what Mawlood stated, hinting at the existence of adulterated fuel oil. Therefore, we wish to confirm that: 1- Resorting to submitting such a request to the Cabinet is not new and was previously adopted. 2- This oil will not be used unless the results are issued from accredited international laboratories and are found to be in conformity with the specifications. 3- The aim of this step is to save time by providing the unloading duration so that it takes place during the time lost waiting for the results to be issued. 4- The unloaded materials are stored in empty tanks, so they will not affect compliant materials present in Lebanon if they are found to be non-compliant. 5- The costs of re-loading in case the materials are not compliant, and the financial guarantees, are those in force in the approved terms of reference, and the step proposed to the Cabinet does not require reconsidering them or any additional financial burdens. 6- Work is ongoing to ensure that no adulterated fuel oil is brought into the country, and the necessary measures and precautions have been taken for this purpose. Therefore, we wish Mawlood, who has a long track record and a rich history in the energy and oil sector, had clarified the matter before creating this commotion and providing material for those with ill intentions, as the difficult situation the country and the sector are going through cannot tolerate such populist actions."