Economy

Finance Ministry: A Thousand Billion Pounds Disbursed to Social Security
Finance Ministry: A Thousand Billion Pounds Disbursed to Social Security

Caretaker Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil gave instructions on Wednesday to disburse one thousand billion Lebanese pounds as an advance on the fees allocated to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), under the 2024 budget, which amount to three thousand billion Lebanese pounds. The Ministry will pay the remaining amount on a monthly ...

Kanaan From Washington: Neither Confidence Nor Recovery Without Parliamentary Oversight
Kanaan From Washington: Neither Confidence Nor Recovery Without Parliamentary Oversight

The Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, was in Washington DC at the invitation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), where he is taking part in the Spring Meetings, held until April 20. The sessions he attended focused on the importance of responsibility in developing, progressing and ...

Water Offices to Pay EDL $50 Million
Water Offices to Pay EDL $50 Million

The payment of electricity bills to Lebanon's Water Offices was the focus of a meeting between the caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, the chairman of Electricity of Lebanon (EDL), Kamal Hayek, the general managers of the Water Offices and the director of the Treasury at the Ministry of Finance. A collection campaign led by EDL, ...

Kanaan at the World Bank Spring Meetings
Kanaan at the World Bank Spring Meetings

The Chairman of the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, traveled to Washington DC at the invitation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) to participate in the Spring Meetings. During these meetings, which will take place from April 15 to 20, he will hold talks with those involved in the ...

Finance: Public Sector Increases Disbursed
Finance: Public Sector Increases Disbursed

The Ministry of Finance confirmed in a statement on Monday that it had transferred to Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL) the differences in civil servants' salaries (the retroactive effect) for last February, in line with the salary increases approved by the government last month. Those concerned will be able to withdraw the amounts from their banks ...

Five Hours of Airstrikes: Billions Disappear into Thin Air
Five Hours of Airstrikes: Billions Disappear into Thin Air

To counter an unprecedented wave of strikes launched from Iran, late on Saturday evening, lasting a total of five hours, Israel reportedly shelled out nearly $1.35 billion. Waging a war requires weapons and money. The numbers speak for themselves. Brigadier General Ram Aminach, former financial advisor to the Israeli Chief of Staff, as quoted by ...

BDL Gets Things Straight
BDL Gets Things Straight

In a statement released on Friday, the Central Bank of Lebanon sounded the alarm, calling on Parliament to act by approving reform laws to rescue the financial sector. The Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) emphasized that the delay in enacting reform laws weakens the financial position of the Lebanese State, the Central Bank of Lebanon, and the ...

What’s the Latest Update on Commercial Leases?
What’s the Latest Update on Commercial Leases?

The fate of parties engaged in old commercial leases remains uncertain, despite the State Council’s decision on April 5, 2023, to suspend Decree-Law No. 12835 concerning the government's referral of the commercial lease law to Parliament. Until the Council of State adjudicates on the substance of Decree-Law No. 12835 concerning old commercial ...

What Is the Price of War?
What Is the Price of War?

Houses continue to crumble, people are succumbing beneath the rubble, and the olive fields, a lifelong toil, are turning to ash. No one cares, except the Minister of Economy who reduced it all to abstract figures: damages, he claims, are estimated between 7 and 10 billion dollars. But the minister who aims to be the Great Vizier, did not dare see ...

Skyrocketing Gold Price: Is China the Cause?
Skyrocketing Gold Price: Is China the Cause?

Since the beginning of the year, the price of gold has been skyrocketing, driven by expectations of a decline in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve, which boosts the yellow metal, alongside substantial purchases by China. On Wednesday, gold was trading at $2,354.22 per ounce, marking a surge of about 15% in just one year. Gold remains a safe ...

Ramadan, A Boom for Commerce!
Ramadan, A Boom for Commerce!

Millions of practicing Muslims have observed fasting throughout the concluding days of Ramadan. Beyond its sacred significance, Ramadan heralds a surge in consumption, presenting a lucrative opportunity for businesses in the food and hospitality sectors, especially in Lebanon, where the economic situation is far from stable. While Ramadan is a ...

Critical Weeks for Lebanon's IMF Agreement
Critical Weeks for Lebanon's IMF Agreement

The European Union's stance is in line with that of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding recent indications and developments in Lebanon, including the passage of the 2024 budget within constitutional deadlines, reforms to banking secrecy laws and stabilization of the exchange rate in the parallel market. These developments signal that ...