Work & Economy

First - The status quo:

1. Lebanon’s wealth is based on its human capital, natural resources, and geographic location.
2. Poor governance and the absence of a state of law that capitalizes on human and financial resources are crippling development and economic growth, as well as balanced growth between regions, and social justice.
3. Politicians have monopolized Lebanon's resources for their personal benefits and for political purposes through the policy of clientelism.
4. The absence of comprehensive and accurate statistics, especially on the size of the informal economy, is preventing any estimation of the size of the economy and unemployment rates.
5. Public sector inflation, poor productivity, and mismanagement of its institutions are doubling the cost of production and adversely affecting private sector activity, productivity, and international competitiveness.
6. Capital funds are available but are often invested in non-productive financial assets like public debt securities, and in the rentier economy, without capitalizing on human capital and skilled labor.
7. Poor infrastructure (roads, transport and communications, electricity, water, and connections, etc.) leads to low workforce productivity, and low competitiveness in Lebanon and abroad.
8. The Lebanese economy is of a monopolistic and non-competitive nature. The existing obstacles to entering markets are preventing capital flows to Lebanon and investment in productive sectors.
9. The failure to regulate foreign labor affairs in Lebanon is resulting in a distorted labor market and unfair competition for the Lebanese workforce.
10. The cost of production in Lebanon is very high, relative to the neighboring countries, due to the mismanagement of public institutions. Still, the cost of production will remain higher, relative to the country’s neighbors, given the better living standard among the Lebanese people.
11. Lebanon’s failure to sufficiently engage in the international economy through international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, and to activate bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements, is weakening Lebanon’s export capacity and its role as a regional and international hub.

Second - The principles:

1. A free and competitive economic system is ideal to achieve economic growth, and the state should play a fundamental role in protecting citizens' rights and achieving social justice.
2. Economic growth is a means and not an end per se; the real goal is human values first and it is realized through social justice.
3. Achieving social justice requires sustained and paralleled economic growth.

Third - The vision:

1. Adopting a long-term strategic economic vision based on Lebanon's competitive nature to encourage investment in a productive economy that would protect the environment, create job opportunities, and reduce brain drain by promoting the knowledge economy, the digital economy, and the manufacturing of high-value-added materials and services, and by introducing modern technology to the agricultural industry.
2. Establishing free zones and exemplary industrial cities and laying the foundations for Lebanon to become an economic, industrial, technological and service hub based on clusters.
3. Adopting a smart, paralleled and growth-related economic policy in the regions which contributes to developing each region according to its human and natural capacities. This policy would create job opportunities that reduce internal and external migration.
4. Respecting the environment for economic, psychological and health-related reasons, and adopting green industries and green architecture.
5. Make Lebanon a pioneer in clean technologies and encouraging research, investment and manufacturing in the field of renewable energies.
6. Introducing modern technology to crafts, agriculture, as well as traditional and cultural industries.
7. Launching a broad and all-inclusive investment program in basic and digital infrastructure through Public-Private Partnerships.
8. Activating and ensuring proper cooperation between the public and private sectors in all economic sectors to benefit from and invest in human and natural resources and invest in them.
9. In case privatization and partnerships are adopted between the public and private sectors, the citizens’ interests shall remain paramount, and strict measures must be taken to prevent the shift from a public monopoly to a private monopoly.
10. Paving the way for coordination between universities, technical colleges, and productive sectors in order to orient educational curricula according to labor market requirements.

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