Economic guidelines in policy statement

Main directions involve introducing electricity strategy, activating Public Private Partnership

July 4, 2011- The policy statement of the new government noted the following economic plans and measures:

- Work for social justice and balanced development in all regions, through drafting comprehensive economic development plans and executive programs, and providing funding sources for them.
- Boost ties with the Arab states through the Arab League, and sustaining economic and developmental support through continuing the projects funded by Arab states or Arab Monetary Funds.
- Follow through with bilateral agreements with Syria, putting into effect what has been agreed upon and studying other issues which have not been finalized yet.
- Boost ties with international regional groups and friendly states, mainly the EU and international institutions and organizations, and implement bilateral and multilateral agreements.
- Draft a bill for extended administrative decentralization in order to achieve economic and social development. Reform the status of the Independent Municipal Fund and seek solutions for outstanding municipal financial dues.
- Focus on social development programs targeting underprivileged families.
- Move forward with the medical reform plan and implement the health card system, as well as enhance governmental hospitals and foster health care centers in all regions.
- Proceed with other projects, undertaken by the Ministry of Health, in order to provide medical coverage for uninsured citizens.
- Activate the functions of the Economic and Social Council.
- Fight corruption and promote inspection bodies (Audit Bureau, Central Inspection Board, Civil Service Council) in order to amend illegal enrichment bill.
- Improve the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to shift to an e.government.
- Adopt the Administrative Reform strategy program, and appoint a mediator of the republic (ombudsman).
- Improve academic curricula and research, and support the National Committee for Quality Assurance for higher education in both private and public sectors.
- Redistribute taxes’ burden with special consideration to low-income individuals.
- Pertaining to the public finance, the Ministry of Finance will work to:
• Reduce the load of public debt on the economy, and control the size of debt servicing in proportion with revenues.
• Exploit natural resources: oil, water, public properties…
• Introduce structural reforms to the tax system
• Build the abilities of the administration of the Ministry of Finance. Start the operations of the Public Debt Directorate at the Ministry of Finance and promote the functions of control bodies.
• Promote the productive public institutions, and incorporate the commercial ones.
- Launch the spending program in major sectors such as electricity, water, and public transportation, taking into regard the comprehensive Territory Management Plan and providing the needed funding, with the cooperation of the private sector and through the adoption of the Public Private Partnership draft bill.
- Focus on the electricity sector and implement of the ‘Policy paper for the electricity sector’, adopted in 2010, for reforming the sector and providing 24/24 power supply.
- Implement the ‘National Water Sector Strategy’, with the proper global management, including: sewage treatment plan, dam building plan.
- Undertake a policy for oil in order to launch the production cycle, through starting oil exploration rounds after issuing the correspondent licenses, and demarcating Lebanon’s maritime borders.
- Adopt a plan for oil storage in 2011, and establish the relevant infrastructure throughout the country
- Transportation:
• Decide a land transport policy, establish a transport service through a partnership between the public and the private sectors, and restore the role of railway network after renovation.

• Modernize and promote the infrastructure of commercial seaports. Implement the plan to develop and expand tourism ports. Adopt a draft law to tackle the illegal exploitation of maritime properties, as well as establish the Maritime Institute.

• Operate the René Muawad airport in Qleiaat and appoint a regulatory body for Civil Aviation, as well as modernize the operating mode of the Rafik Hariri International Airport at all levels.