It’s a first in Lebanon. The Ministry of Economy and Trade has gone digital, becoming the first public administration to implement e-government. Eighteen of the Ministry’s administrative procedures have now been digitized, and all formalities will go digital by 2024.

This initiative, which the Ministry of Economy and Trade has worked on with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Lebanese Development Fund (LDF), is part of the “National Strategy for Digital Transformation Towards E-Government,” a comprehensive plan aimed at combating corruption, improving the efficiency of services, and facilitating working procedures.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati launched on Tuesday at the Grand Serail the new electronic services of the Consumer Protection Directorate, which reports to the Ministry of the Economy.

Commenting on the event, Mikati declared that the launch of the digital platform is “one of the priorities of his government, as it is the cornerstone of all progress and the process of reform and economic recovery.” It aligns with the anti-corruption strategy being implemented systematically and progressively.

Mikati said “Lebanon must move rapidly into the digital age,” stressing that “any further delay in this direction constitutes a setback to the government’s reformist orientations and its plans to put the country back on its feet and restore confidence”.

For his part, the Minister of Economy and Trade, Amin Salam, said that, in terms of the national strategy for economic recovery and development, digital transformation within his department is “central, fundamental, and extremely important” as it is geared towards fighting corruption, the major scourge, facing the Lebanese administration, the State, and the private sector.”

He bemoaned that Lebanon was “very slow to implement digital transformation.”

Mohammad Abou Haidar, Director General of the Ministry of Economy, explained that the digital transformation “facilitates the procedures by which companies and institutions obtain their permits and certain services.”

He also announced the automation of the exhibition and market circuit, enabling hundreds of small businesses, notably those run by pioneering and ambitious women, to organize exhibitions throughout Lebanon and promote local products.