This Is Beirut 2024-01-19 13:04 - Reading : less than a minute
The Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, summoned MPs on Friday to sessions on Wednesday, January 24 and Thursday, January 25 at 11 AM to study and approve the 2024 budget. He also specified that dedicated sessions would be held in the evening of these two days. The draft State budget, having been finalized on Monday by the parliamentary Finance ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-01-18 22:58 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
What once was a social safety net, represented by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), is no longer. Despite the good will of NSSF Director-General Mohammad Karaki, the calculation and withdrawal process of end-of-service indemnities continue to pose a complicated contention. Unfortunately, it is the employees, who are the most vulnerable, ...
Nicolas Sbeih 2024-01-18 18:06 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
The Syrian issue is one of those recurring topics filled with bold statements, speeches at international podiums and "repatriation plans" on paper. However, the actual implementation of measures by various security services, municipalities or ministers tends to unravel along the way. All of the above unfolds against a backdrop of societal ...
2024-01-18 15:42 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
With climate change, ski resorts in Lebanon face the challenge of insufficient snow, increasingly shorter seasons, and rising expenses. Is it still a profitable sector? Climate change could signal the end of winter sports in Lebanon. While snow is still present in the mountains, it falls less frequently and later in the season. The first snowfall ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-01-17 22:43 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Initiating an adjustment of the dollar exchange rate at 89,500 Lebanese pounds before transitioning to a floating exchange rate regime is a prudent and essential measure. While standardizing the exchange rate is vital for economic revitalization, a key question remains: Does this imply a floating system, where the dollar-to-pound exchange rate is ...
This Is Beirut 2024-01-16 20:32 - Reading : less than a minute
The Price Index Committee met on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Caretaker Minister of Labor Moustapha Bayram as part of the follow-up to the increase in salaries and travel expenses for private sector workers. At the end of the meeting, Bayram announced that it had agreed to approve an increase in private sector travel expenses from 250 ...
This Is Beirut 2024-01-16 19:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
After several days of controversy surrounding the introduction of almost 1.5 million defective gas cylinders from Syria and rumors of a possible gas shortage in Lebanon, the Ministry of Energy issued a statement on Tuesday announcing that it had taken the necessary measures to that effect. Caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, ...
This Is Beirut 2024-01-16 18:59 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
On Tuesday, the Basil Fuleihan Institute of Finance and Economics and the Italian University of Rome Tor Vergata launched an international certificate specializing in strategic public procurement to train specialists in the Lebanese public sector. Caretaker Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil, who sponsored the ceremony, described the program as a ...
This Is Beirut 2024-01-16 15:44 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL) published its economic and financial report for November 2023, in which it reviews financial, banking, economic and monetary developments. The report shows an increase in private sector deposits in Lebanese pounds with banks to 55.329 billion at the end of November 2023, compared with 50.051 billion at ...
This Is Beirut 2024-01-16 14:17 - Reading : less than a minute
Caretaker Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil announced on Tuesday two decisions to extend the payment deadlines for two taxes in order to give taxpayers more time and avoid late payment fines. The deadline for filing the annual return relating to income tax on salaries and wages for the fourth quarter of 2023, as well as payment, has been ...
This Is Beirut 2024-01-15 16:26 - Reading : less than a minute
Air traffic at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport (BIA) recorded a 12.24% increase in the number of passengers traveling to and from Lebanon over the past year (2023), accounting for a total of 7,127,649 passengers, compared with 6,349,967 passengers in 2022. The number of arrivals in Lebanon rose by 11.51%, while departures increased by ...
Liliane Mokbel 2024-01-14 12:48 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Many MPs have voiced their concerns, alternatively denouncing "hidden deficits" or "covered-up deficits" in the proposed 2023 budgets (which have not been voted on yet) and that of 2024. The 2024 budget project, examined by parliamentary committees, anticipates a deficit of around LBP 17 trillion. This figure has been contested by numerous MPs ...