Finance Minister Yassine Jaber announced on Wednesday tangible progress in Lebanon’s public finance reform efforts, during a joint press conference with French Ambassador Hervé Magro and representatives from the French Development Agency (FDA) and Expertise France.
The conference focused on the ongoing project “Strengthening Budget Preparation for Sound Public Financial Management,” which has been supported by France since 2020. The initiative aims to improve transparency, efficiency, and credibility in Lebanon’s budgetary process amid ongoing economic and institutional turmoil.
The Director General of the Ministry of Finance, George Maarawi, outlined the project’s accomplishments so far, including the processing of over 85% of accumulated tax receipts, the reintegration of non-banking financial intermediaries into the official tax system, the simplification of the legal budget framework, and the establishment of clearer public spending priorities.
“The reform path is underway,” Maarawi said, noting that the next milestone is the publication of budget execution reports to promote transparency and restore public confidence.
Ambassador Magro praised Lebanon’s financial authorities for advancing reforms despite political and economic challenges. He announced an additional €400,000 in French funding and the deployment of a French budget expert for a two-year term to support the reform process.
Since 2020, France has assisted Lebanon through FDA, Expertise France, and the French Treasury. A key milestone has been the adoption of a unified budget guide, consolidating years of fragmented decisions and providing a coherent framework for planning and accountability.
Minister Jaber emphasized the strategic value of the project, particularly at a time when many international partners had distanced themselves from the Lebanese state.
“This project did not bypass the state, it worked to revive it from within,” he said, adding that the reforms go beyond cosmetic fixes. “These efforts strike at the core of governance. The goal is to shift from a paralyzed state to a responsible one capable of planning, executing, and being held accountable.”
Jaber concluded on a hopeful note: “Even in the heart of collapse, we can restore order, offer clarity, and return dignity to public administration.”
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