World bank

Nawaf Salam Appeals for Support in Disarming Hezbollah

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on Friday that the Lebanese government was moving forward with the plan to disarm Hezbollah. He stressed that Lebanon’s fragile state institutions and army will require significant international support to implement the plan successfully. Salam highlighted the urgent financial needs of the country, citing ...

Lebanon Secures $250 Million World Bank Loan for Reconstruction

Lebanon signed a $250 million loan agreement with the World Bank on Tuesday to begin repairing infrastructure damaged by Israeli airstrikes since October 2023, marking the first step in a broader reconstruction effort. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber signed the deal with World Bank regional director Jean-Christophe Carret in Beirut, in a ceremony ...

Lebanon Pushes Ahead with Reconstruction

The Ministerial Committee for Reconstruction and Economic Recovery, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, met on Monday at the Grand Serail with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi, Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed, Telecommunications Minister Charles Hage, Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny and ...

World Bank Appoints New Country Manager for Lebanon

The World Bank has named Enrique Blanco Armas as its new Country Manager for Lebanon, the institution announced on Wednesday. Based in Beirut, Blanco Armas will lead and unify the World Bank Group’s efforts across its various arms, IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA, aimed at supporting Lebanon’s recovery and development. Previously a manager at the ...

Parliamentary Committees Approve $200 Million WB Loan to Revitalize Agricultural Sector

In a move described as a “decisive step toward economic recovery and food security,” joint parliamentary committees on Tuesday approved a bill allowing Lebanon to sign a $200 million loan agreement with the World Bank (WB) to fund the Green Agri-Food Transformation for Economic Recovery (GATE) program. Backed by the Ministry of ...

Parliament Committee Approves Military Grants and Green Agriculture Loans

A joint parliamentary committee approved a draft law on Monday to open an additional credit line in the 2025 state budget, allocating monthly financial grants to military personnel. Under the proposed law, active-duty soldiers will receive LBP 14 million per month, while retired military personnel will receive LBP 12 million. Payments are ...

Six Million Dollars to Modernize Public Finances

Lebanon has just secured $6 million in aid to strengthen its tax and land systems. This grant, obtained through the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF), aims to support the Ministry of Finance's reform and digital transformation efforts. Established in January 2020 following the Beirut port explosion, the LFF brings together representatives from ...

Lebanon and World Bank Prepare Launch of Reconstruction Fund

In a bid to accelerate Lebanon’s post-war recovery, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber met with Jean-Christophe Carret, the World Bank’s Regional Director, on Wednesday to discuss the imminent launch of the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP), a reconstruction initiative designed to channel international aid into rebuilding efforts through ...

Lebanon Seeks World Bank Loans to Boost Energy, Water Sectors

Lebanon is advancing efforts to tackle its energy and water crises by activating two major loans from the World Bank. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber announced that the Council of Ministers has approved Decree No. 217, tied to a $250 million loan to develop renewable energy and strengthen the national power grid. The project, prepared on an urgent ...

World Bank to Restart Operations in Syria Following Saudi, Qatari Payment of Debts

The World Bank on Friday said it would restart operations in Syria following a 14-year pause, after Saudi Arabia and Qatar had paid off the country's outstanding debts. The Bank's operations in Syria were halted when the civil war broke out in 2011, preventing the country from gaining access to its development loans, grants, and technical ...

Washington: Hezbollah’s Financing and Disarmament are Interconnected

Combating the financing of terrorism was a central topic for the official Lebanese delegation at the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Washington. The most significant discussions were held with US Treasury Department officials, particularly involving Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and Central Bank ...