The Council of Ministers recently approved a $20 million grant agreement with the European Union. The grant will be used as part of the “Support to Municipal Finance Reform in Lebanon” (ENPI) program.

The duration of implementation is fixed at five years. The program aims to upgrade municipal services in municipalities affected by the influx of Syrian refugees.

The grant will finance the construction or rehabilitation of public infrastructure, mainly for solid waste treatment and disposal, wastewater management, and water supply. The grant will also help to improve the capacities of municipalities for public finance management and local project planning.

“As the number of refugees continues to increase rapidly in most parts of the country, it is important to scale up municipal public services to respond to the immediate needs to host communities,”  according to the agreement.