Economy

World Bank Report Reveals Severe Impact of Syrian Displacement on Lebanon
World Bank Report Reveals Severe Impact of Syrian Displacement on Lebanon

The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Committee held a session on Thursday, focused on the findings of a recent World Bank report on the economic and financial repercussions of the Syrian war and the ensuing displacement on Lebanon. The document was presented by World Bank Country Director for the Middle East Department Jean-Christophe Carret. It ...

Petrodollars: The Raging Banknote
Petrodollars: The Raging Banknote

  Is this the beginning of the end of the US dollar's hegemony in the world? This is a legitimate question, given Saudi Arabia's refusal to renew its petrodollar agreement with the United States. This half-century-old agreement has made the US dollar a powerful force in the world of finance. Signed on June 8, 1974, between the United States ...

Lebanon: A Full House for Adha!
Lebanon: A Full House for Adha!

Despite a very tense situation in southern Lebanon, expatriates were present to celebrate the Adha holiday in Lebanon. Planes were fully booked; guest houses, restaurants, and concerts were also full. This offers a promising preview of the summer season, a cornerstone of the Lebanese economy. Lebanese expatriates are determined, come hell or high ...

Stock Markets Edge Higher, Oil Climbs
Stock Markets Edge Higher, Oil Climbs

Stock markets edged higher on both sides of the Atlantic on Monday despite fading hopes for United States interest rate cuts and worries about political upheaval in Europe, while oil prices rose. Eurozone stocks finished higher while London's blue-chip FTSE 100 dipped into the red. "European markets have risen off the lows of last week but ...

Fayad: Studies Began for Two Renewable Energy Plants by Early 2025
Fayad: Studies Began for Two Renewable Energy Plants by Early 2025

The caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, said on Monday that studies had begun for the construction of two renewable energy plants by early 2025. He pointed out that there are 11 licenses for the construction of renewable energy plants, saying that CMA CGM has purchased two and has begun studies to build two renewable energy ...

Benefits Reaped from Sayrafa Will Be Taxed
Benefits Reaped from Sayrafa Will Be Taxed

  A 17% tax will be applied on profits from transactions carried out by individuals and companies on Sayrafa, the exchange platform of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL). The taxable profits are those derived from operations exceeding $15,000 in 2022 and 2023. The decision by Caretaker Minister of Finance Youssef Khalil comes as part of the ...

A New Airbus for Middle East Airlines!
A New Airbus for Middle East Airlines!

On Friday, Middle East Airlines (MEA) received its tenth and last Airbus A321 Neo aircraft. It landed at Beirut International Airport at around 2:00 PM, coming directly from the Airbus factories in Hamburg, in the presence of the Caretaker Minister of Transport and Public Works, Ali Hamiye. Despite an unprecedented economic crisis and severely ...

The Rent Issue Continues to Stir Passions
The Rent Issue Continues to Stir Passions

The issue of rents for residential units and commercial spaces remains unresolved. Owners and tenants are navigating between new and old leases. The interpretation of laws is causing division among legal professionals and judges alike. Owners are reluctant to rent out their real estate properties, and potential tenants are hesitant to commit to a ...

Postal Sector: Contract with LibanPost Renegotiated
Postal Sector: Contract with LibanPost Renegotiated

Last November, the Council of Ministers decided to extend and renegotiate the management contract for the postal sector with LibanPost, which had expired in 2019 and had since been tacitly renewed. However, on July 13th, French shipping company CMA CGM won the tender launched by the Ministry of Telecommunications through the Merit-Colis Privé ...

Rodolphe Saadé: Reforms Are Key to Attracting Investment
Rodolphe Saadé: Reforms Are Key to Attracting Investment

Referring to the investment climate in Lebanon, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, said that while his group is keen to invest in Lebanon, and is doing so in several areas, the political situation needs to be stabilized. In particular, it is imperative to elect a president, form a new government and implement reforms that are ...

EDL: The Public Sector Starts Paying Its Bills
EDL: The Public Sector Starts Paying Its Bills

The Ministry of Finance has begun settling public institutions' outstanding electricity bills with Électricité du Liban (EDL). The public electricity supplier announced in a statement that it had been informed on June 6 that the Ministry of Finance had begun paying the amounts due on bills from the General Directorate of the Presidency of the ...

Hasbani to TIB: We Are Proposing a Law to Help Taxpayers
Hasbani to TIB: We Are Proposing a Law to Help Taxpayers

In an interview with This is Beirut, MP Ghassan Hasbani explained the draft law proposed to alleviate the impact of inflation and the deterioration of the local currency on taxpayers in Lebanon.