Public services to be suspended for non-payers after 30 days’ notice
Access to services like water, electricity, health, and roads may be denied until full payment is made
Decree-Law No. 75 of 2025 has been issued to organize the relationship between state ministries, institutions, and public bodies providing essential public services — such as electricity, water, roads, health, municipal functions, communications, and traffic — and the individuals or entities who benefit from them.
The law responds, according to Al-Rai, to the growing concern over widespread delays and non-payment by many service beneficiaries, despite their financial capability.
This behavior has placed a significant burden on public funds and disrupted the sustainable operation of public utilities. Therefore, the law introduces mechanisms for enforcement and payment collection, including penalties and service suspension, to ensure better financial discipline and accountability.
Under this new legal framework, if a debtor — whether an individual or a private entity — fails to pay the required fees within 30 days of being notified by the relevant government authority, their access to public services may be temporarily suspended.
This suspension is automatically lifted once the debtor settles the dues in full through the government’s electronic systems.
In cases where the debtor cannot afford to pay the full amount in one go, they may request to pay in installments. If this request is approved under set conditions, services are reinstated. However, failure to meet any of the agreed installment deadlines will lead to cancellation of the arrangement and immediate initiation of enforcement procedures to recover the remaining debt.
To provide a fair opportunity for dispute resolution, the law mandates that a written grievance must be submitted before a debtor can file a lawsuit against the suspension decision or dispute the debt amount.
The concerned authority must respond within 30 days of receiving the grievance; if no decision is made within that period, the grievance is considered rejected. The debtor then has an additional 30 days to file a lawsuit, counting either from the notification of the rejection or the lapse of the response period, whichever comes first.
The amounts due under this decree-law are given legal privilege over all of a debtor’s assets—both movable and immovable. This means government claims take priority in enforcement actions and are legally secured by the debtor’s property.
Additionally, the debt documentation or collection decisions issued by the state are deemed “executive instruments,” allowing them to be enforced immediately by law without needing to go through traditional court proceedings, streamlining the recovery of public funds.
To prevent the loss of the state’s rights through statute of limitations, Article Five states that unpaid fees cannot be claimed after ten years from their due date. However, this limitation is interrupted each time a formal notice is sent to the debtor, including a breakdown of the dues and a demand for payment.
This measure addresses the issue of wealthy individuals who neglect payment and rely on delays to avoid fulfilling their obligations, making it easier for authorities to maintain the right to recover what is owed.
The decree-law specifically excludes court fees from its scope, as these are governed by Judicial Fees Law No. 17 of 1973 and managed under a different legal process.
Finally, the law obligates all ministers to enforce its provisions in their respective fields and stipulates that the decree will come into effect three months after its publication in the Official Gazette. This timeframe allows for necessary administrative preparations and public awareness to ensure a smooth implementation.
