Economy

A Conditional Revaluation of Stocks and Fixed Assets
A Conditional Revaluation of Stocks and Fixed Assets

Economic organisms are urging MPs to promptly discuss and approve amendments to Article 45 of the income tax law. The amendments grant companies an “exceptional” authorization to revalue their inventory and fixed assets, and to manage exchange rate differences from foreign currency receivables and accounts. They can either recognize gains or ...

Electricity: Production Will Increase, But Not the Hours Supplied
Electricity: Production Will Increase, But Not the Hours Supplied

The caretaker Minister of Energy and Water, Walid Fayad, announced on Friday “an increase in electricity production from mid-June.” He pointed out that the two power plants in operation, Deir Ammar and Zahrani, currently produce the equivalent of around 450 megawatts, which will rise to around 600 megawatts by mid-June. Unfortunately, this ...

ECB cuts interest rates
ECB cuts interest rates

The European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time since 2019 on Thursday as eurozone inflation gradually eases, but president Christine Lagarde said the path ahead was unclear and warned of a "bumpy road." The key deposit rate was lowered a quarter point to 3.75 percent, bringing it down from a record high. Following an ...

Issuance of Drivers' Licenses by Traffic and Vehicle Authority
Issuance of Drivers' Licenses by Traffic and Vehicle Authority

The Traffic and Vehicle Management Authority (mécanique) announced on Thursday that it is starting to issue drivers' licenses to candidates who passed the theoretical and practical exams in 2022. The formalities will be conducted in the offices of Nabatieh, Saida, Zahle, Tripoli, Ouzai, Aley, and Jounieh. Interested individuals must personally ...

France and Qatar Covet Lebanon’s Solar Energy Production
France and Qatar Covet Lebanon’s Solar Energy Production

Lebanon is currently producing some 15,000 Megawatts of electricity from solar energy, a quantity that is expected to rise thanks to increasing individual and collective initiatives. The endeavors in question are aimed at saving energy, reducing the electricity bills from private fuel-powered generators, and lowering taxation from Lebanon’s ...

Commercial Leases: Will the State Council Suspend Mikati's Decision?
Commercial Leases: Will the State Council Suspend Mikati's Decision?

In an important development in the commercial leases dossier, on May 30 the State Council adopted a preliminary ruling, numbered 215, to reject an appeal against another preliminary ruling it had made on April 4, 2024, numbered 160, in which it had suspended the application of a government decision. That decision referred back to parliament the ...

What Remains of Our Commercial Agreements?
What Remains of Our Commercial Agreements?

Without anyone noticing and without any announcement, we missed our opportunity to anchor ourselves to Europe, failing to become a part of it. Yet, it was a beautiful prospect for many reasons: Europe is our primary commercial and cultural source, the main donor for our dilapidated administrations and NGOs, a model of modernism, democracy and ...

PMI at Record Low
PMI at Record Low

The PMI (Purchase Managers Index), published by BlomInvest, registered 47.9 points in May 2024, compared with 48.9 the previous month. This is the lowest figure in sixteen months. Commenting on these figures, Helmi Mourad, analyst at BLOM Business Bank, stressed that the decline reflects the deterioration in business activity in the private ...

Circularity: The EBRD Grants Lebanese SMEs €12.5 million
Circularity: The EBRD Grants Lebanese SMEs €12.5 million

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced on Wednesday that it was granting €12.5 million to the Lebanese private sector, as part of a nine-year program to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) integrate effective circular economy practices into their operations. The circular economy, or circularity, is the ...

NSSF Transfers 131 Billion LBP to Hospitals
NSSF Transfers 131 Billion LBP to Hospitals

The Director General of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Mohammad Karaki, issued instructions on Monday to the relevant financial departments to transfer 131 billion Lebanese pounds to hospitals for the payment of treatment for dialysis patients, bringing the total amount paid since the beginning of the year to 521 billion pounds. He ...

Alternative Payment Methods: A Global Rise
Alternative Payment Methods: A Global Rise

Card payments are no longer the only and main consumers’ option. Bank cards are steadily giving way to alternative payment methods. This is a global trend, and Lebanon is no exception; for instance, electronic wallets are gaining significant popularity. The range of options keeps growing. In the coming years, there will be less cash and fewer ...

Hajj Hassan: Lebanese Fish Farming Project to be Launched Soon
Hajj Hassan: Lebanese Fish Farming Project to be Launched Soon

Lebanon plans to launch a fish farming, marine and river fish development project in the second half of June, the caretaker Minister of Agriculture, Abbas Hajj Hassan, announced on Friday in an interview with Radio Liban. He explained that his recent visit to Cairo was aimed at overcoming obstacles regarding exports to Egypt and learning about ...