President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday delivered a powerful message in favor of full-scale digital transformation of Lebanon’s public administration, framing it as a strategic tool to curb corruption and restore trust in state institutions.
Speaking at the “Smart Government: Diaspora Experts for Lebanon” conference at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut, Aoun declared that Lebanon can no longer afford to stay outside the era, on the margins of modernity, or disconnected from the digital economy.”
“We have made our decision,” Aoun said. “It is time to build a smart government that serves every citizen and makes public transactions immune to the whims of the corrupt.”
The president’s speech marked one of the clearest official acknowledgments yet that Lebanon’s analog bureaucracy – with its paperwork-heavy processes and discretionary approvals – has become a breeding ground for corruption and favoritism. He argued that digitizing state services could strip away many of the opportunities for bribery and abuse of power that have become entrenched in public sector operations.
Calling digitization “a sovereign decision for the future,” Aoun appealed to local and diaspora experts to help design and implement a digital infrastructure that places efficiency and citizen access at its core.
Aoun also stressed Lebanon’s readiness to forge regional and international partnerships aimed at enhancing its digital capabilities and attracting foreign investment. “We want to open Lebanon to such partnerships and make it a viable destination for global investors,” he stated.
Reflecting on the current state of digital infrastructure, Aoun noted the country’s data-rich environment but lamented the lack of effective digitization. “Lebanon has a lot of numbers, but little digitization,” he said, calling for urgent reforms to transform Lebanon into “a force to be reckoned with” once again.
The president concluded with a forward-looking appeal: “Let’s build together the digital republic, which is worthy of the aspirations of the Lebanese and aligned with the spirit of the times.”
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