In “old” Lebanon, basic tenets of liberalism were hijacked and replaced by a Byzantine labyrinth of oligarchy and cartels and by insidious government-private sector interactions. The new Lebanon we’re after should be organized around principles of respect for individual freedoms, competition, entrepreneurship, and global integration.
The “doing nothing” policy stance in place since 2019 is leading to a vicious circle that immiserates the population and will prove detrimental to the country's future.
An immediate normalization of the fiscal implosion accompanied by structural measures that put the fiscal house in order will be key to confidence and growth ignition.
The policies needed to ignite and sustain productive and inclusive growth also deeply threaten a power structure that is entirely based on the creation and distribution of rents, as opposed to the creation of wealth
We are pleased to present this New Research Paper on economic production in Lebanon, published by The American University of Beirut.
Co-written by Amer Bisat and FDL's Research Director, Ishac Diwan
