Economy

NSSF Disburses Nearly LBP 1,500 Billion in Healthcare Payments

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) announced that it has disbursed nearly LBP 1,496 billion to hospitals, physicians and insured individuals since the beginning of 2025, according to a press release issued by its Public Relations Department. Breaking down the figures, the NSSF detailed that LBP 710 billion was allocated for fixed-fee ...

Food Security: Economy Minister Launches Strategic Study With FAO and WFP

The Minister of Trade and Economy, Amer Bisat, held talks with representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP), in the presence of the Director General of Cereals and Sugar Beet and the Director of Grain Silos. Discussions focused on the development of a national food security strategy and the ...

Lebanon's Labor Day: The Unaddressed Crisis of Salaries and Benefits

Labor Day, celebrated on May 1, offers little cause for celebration this year in Lebanon. How can workers rejoice when they’re trapped in a cycle of triple-digit inflation—despite some studies, curiously detached from reality, suggesting otherwise? The purchasing power of their end-of-service benefits, steadily eroded since 2019, is now ...

Stock Markets Edge up as Trump Softens Tariff Pain for Auto Firms

Stock markets advanced on Tuesday following news that Donald Trump plans to spare automakers from some of his wide-ranging tariffs, boosting hopes of a less combative approach to his trade war. Signs of easing trade tensions are also spurring sentiment, as governments line up to negotiate deals with Washington to avert the full force of sweeping ...

China's BYD posts strong quarterly profit on EV sales surge

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD reported strong first-quarter profits on Friday, propelled by surging sales as US rival Tesla struggles to maintain pace. China's EV market is the largest in the world, and BYD has emerged in recent years as the clear leader of the highly competitive sector, outperforming Tesla in annual revenue last year. The ...

Prices Rise Again: +0.44% in March

Lebanon's consumer price index for March 2025 recorded an increase of 0.44% compared with February 2025. The annual change in the consumer price index for March 2025 was 14.19% compared with March 2024. Concerning the monthly variation of the index by governorate, the figures are as follows: Beirut: up 0.33 Mount Lebanon: up 0.11 North: up ...

Lebanon’s Banking Secrecy Reform: A Threat to Privacy, Legal Security, and Economic Trust

As Lebanon grapples with a deep financial crisis and seeks to overhaul its banking system, a proposed amendment to the country’s banking secrecy law has sparked major controversy. Though introduced under the banner of transparency and reform, the changes raise serious concerns about individual privacy, data protection, investor confidence, and ...

'No-Reform' Banking Bill: Where Is the Responsibility of the Defaulting State?

Following the adoption of the draft law for reforming and reorganizing the banking sector in Lebanon, the government will begin preparing a law to address the financial gap, intended to restore financial system stability. However, the implementation of the banking reform and reorganization bill is suspended until the law on the financial gap is ...

'Deadly' Loans Behind 'False Hope': Beware the IMF Trap

The experiences of many countries with international financial institutions—chief among them the International Monetary Fund (IMF)—show that such partnerships often lead to counterproductive results. Instead of rescuing economies from crisis, the so-called reform programs have deepened structural and financial problems. In many cases, these ...

To Those Betting on the International Monetary Fund

An official Lebanese delegation is heading to Washington, DC to participate in the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, carrying with it new promises and commitments aimed at pleasing these two international institutions. It seeks to convince them that Lebanon has indeed embarked on the path of reform and seeks to go even further by fulfilling all ...

Illegally Privatized Coastline: End of Impunity or a Mere Political Posturing?

After decades of laissez-faire, has the tide finally turned? Breaking with a long-standing tradition of complacency toward violations of the coastline, the government of Nawaf Salam has withdrawn three controversial decrees adopted under the Mikati administration. These decrees had legitimized the appropriation of over 140,000 square meters of ...