Nadra Moussalem: The French-Lebanese investor blending finance and art
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L'Orient-Le Jour
5 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Fuel tax: Finance Ministry defends its position before State Council
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber did send a statement to the State Council to explain why he believed the government's May 19, 2025, decision to tax certain fuels and use the proceeds from these taxes to fund aid for the Lebanese Army should be reinstated, according to a well-informed source at the Finance Ministry. According to this source, the minister said he took what he considers a "normal" step to defend the point of view of the executive branch and the Ministry before the highest administrative jurisdiction. The latter had suspended this decision last July following an appeal filed by the Lebanese Forces, while it considers the merits of the case — something that could take some time. Partly confirming information reported Monday by the MTV channel regarding this statement, the source added that the minister notably argued that the government could act in customs matters under law No. 93 of Oct. 10, 2018, whose effects were extended by another text suspending this period for a year and a half. According to the channel, the finance minister and his colleague at defense, Michel Menassa, agree to maintain army aid funded by the tax's proceeds. Lebanese soldiers have been mobilized to bolster border security with Syria, which underwent a regime change last December, and to disarm armed militias in the country, including Hezbollah and those in Palestinian camps. By contrast, military salaries have melted away since the crisis triggered by the depreciation of the Lebanese pound and have yet to be fully adjusted to offset these losses. The constitution reserves to Parliament the authority to intervene in fiscal matters. But in 2018, it allowed the government to do so for five years, notably in customs matters (law No. 93 of Oct. 10, 2018) — a power the cabinet later delegated to the Higher Customs Council. However, while the duration of this exemption was supposed to expire at the end of October 2023, a law passed in 2024 suspended legal and contractual deadlines for the period from Oct. 8, 2023 — that is, the first day of the war between Hezbollah and Israel — until March 31, 2025, citing the grave instability of the security situation. After being approached by 10 MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement, the Constitutional Council initially suspended the effects of the law before reinstating almost all its provisions on Jan. 16. The law granting the government a customs-related exemption has not, for its part, been challenged before the Constitutional Council, though the legitimacy of the exceptional measure it establishes remains hotly debated. The Cabinet's adoption of the fuel tax caused an outcry at the time. It was enforced for a month and a half before the State Council suspended it.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Rasamny: Economic study for Qleiaat airport now complete
NORTH LEBANON — Public Works and Transport Minister, Fayez Rasamny, announced from Tripoli (North Lebanon,) that "the economic feasibility study for Qleiaat airport – in Akkar – has been completed" and that "the project is awaiting executive steps for its reactivation," according to a statement released Tuesday by the state-run National News Agency (NNA.) The minister made these comments Monday evening on Abdel Wahab Island during a tour with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Economy Minister Amer Bisat. The tour included stops at the Rachid Karameh International Fair, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Port of Tripoli. The minister did not provide details about the study nor specify whether it would be published. He emphasized that "reactivating the Rene Moawad Qleiaat airport is an essential pillar for boosting commercial and tourism activity in the North." Included in the ministerial declaration, the rehabilitation and reactivation of the Qleiaat airport are considered a priority by Salam's government. This initiative reflects the executive branch's intent to equip Lebanon with infrastructure that complements Rafic Hariri International Airport (RHIA) to ease congestion. Designed to accommodate six million passengers, AIB regularly operates over capacity, leading to severe congestion during peak seasons when many Lebanese expatriates return to and leave the country. The reactivation of this second airport could also help revive economic activity in the north of the country, particularly in Akkar, one of the most rural and poorest regions in Lebanon. Located on the Syrian border and neighboring Tripoli, the country's second-largest city, this region could thus benefit from a strategic development boost. Developed by the French army in 1938, the Qleiaat airport was placed under the control of the Lebanese army in 1966, which modernized it into a military base. It was renamed Rene Moawad Airport in 1989, in tribute to the president of the republic who was elected — and then assassinated — on the very site. In his speech, Rasamny also assured that the government "is committed to accomplishing concrete achievements," revealing that "Tripoli will soon see new projects in preparation that will help propel the city toward a better future." The minister added that Tripoli, which "only needs stability to create job opportunities and restart the wheel of development," possesses "important resources and potential that make it an economic and social model to be exported to other Lebanese regions." The question of opening a second airport in Lebanon has been debated for many years. Successive wars that led to the bombing of southern Beirut (where the current airport is located) have driven many to call for the opening of a second airport. Salam chaired a meeting on June 18 at the Grand Serail dedicated to the rehabilitation project for this airport, attended by Rasamny and representatives from the engineering firm Dar al-Handassa, who presented a preliminary master plan that includes a proposal for the passenger terminal, the control tower, as well as a status review of the runways. Placed on the Cabinet meeting agenda for June 16 and 20, the bill authorizing the development of this airport — according to "BOT" (Build-Operate-Transfer) or "DBOT" (Design-Build-Operate-Transfer) models — had to be suspended. The Public Works Ministry tried to exempt the project from public-private partnership (PPP) rules, raising concerns among some ministers who saw it as an attempt to bypass the Higher Council for Privatization. The Cabinet then agreed that Law No. 48 of 2017, which regulates PPPs in Lebanon, had to be revised first. This revision was approved on June 27 and sent to Parliament for adoption.
L'Orient-Le Jour
5 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Amman condemns Israeli occupation during Salam's Jordan visit
BEIRUT — Prime Minister Nawaf Salam began his official visit to Jordan on Tuesday, where he met with King Abdullah II. The monarch expressed "his country's full support for Lebanon to strengthen its security and preserve its sovereignty," according to remarks reported by the Jordanian news agency Petra. At the meeting, attended by Crown Prince Hussein and Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan, Abdullah II highlighted "the importance of expanding cooperation between Jordan and Lebanon in various fields, especially economic ones." He also called for continued efforts to "maintain coordination with brotherly and friendly countries in order to achieve regional stability."" Earlier in the day, Salam had held a one-on-one meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Hassan, who told him that "the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory is condemnable," stressing the need to "fully implement the cease-fire agreement and put an end to ongoing aggressions on Lebanese territory." Lebanon is recovering from a devastating war lasting more than 13 months pitting Israel against Hezbollah. Despite the adoption of a fragile cease-fire last November, the Israeli army continues to occupy five positions along the border in southern Lebanon, and conducts almost daily strikes in this region and in the Bekaa. In its final report on the damages and losses suffered by Lebanon from the outbreak of the war on Oct. 8, 2023, to the truce on Nov. 27, 2024, the World Bank estimates the total bill for damages at $6.8 billion in the areas affected by Israeli bombings, with economic losses reaching $7.2 billion. "Royal directives always reaffirm Jordan's position alongside brotherly Lebanon, as well as its support for its sovereignty, security and stability,"Hassan declared. Salam, praised Amman's role in "supporting Lebanon and showing solidarity at every stage," describing its "positions as historic and strategic." He added that "Jordan's voice is heard in the world and Lebanon needs this role in this period it is going through." 'The illusion of a Greater Israel' Salam and the King of Jordan also discussed security instability in the region during their meeting. Abdullah II insisted on "the necessity of an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the strengthening of humanitarian aid delivery to alleviate the suffering of the population." He also reiterated "Jordan's categorical rejection of Israeli plans to extend their control in the West Bank and the region. Regarding Syria, the Jordanian leader said that "the security and stability of this country is a common priority," recalling "Jordan's support for the efforts of Syrian brothers to preserve the stability of their country, its sovereignty and the security of its citizens." Returning to his discussion with Salam, Hassan said: "We are hearing about visions and proposals aimed at perpetuating endless wars, such as the illusion of a Greater Israel maintained by extremist Israeli politicians. However, the reality is quite different: these policies fuel hatred and resentment, and the peoples of the world and the region will not forgive them for it." Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "very attached" to the idea of a "Greater Israel," referring to biblical-era borders that include the West Bank and parts of Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria — territories some ultra-nationalist Israelis hope to control. A Jordanian official dismissed the remarks as "absurd illusions" that would not affect "the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people." Hassan also said "it is necessary to deploy every effort to end the war in Gaza, the aggressions in the West Bank and the dangerous escalation in the region," while emphasizing that Israel "bears full humanitarian and legal responsibility for the collapse of the humanitarian aid system in Gaza." He added: "We are facing a tragedy we see every day in Gaza, with famine, killings, and daily massacres. All crossing points must be opened to deliver the necessary aid to save our people and the children of Gaza." Salam, in turn, stated that "Israel is moving from one isolation to another in the world, in view of what it is doing in Gaza and the West Bank." The Gaza Strip has been devastated by nearly two years of Israeli attacks, with now 62,000 people killed, according to local health officials who don't separate civilians from fighters. The conflict has also triggered a hunger crisis, made worse by continued delays in aid deliveries. 'No Going Back on the Disarmament Deadline' Salam then stated in an interview with Jordan's al-Mamlaka channel that 'it is impossible for his Cabinet to reverse the deadline set for implementing the state's exclusive control over weapons.' 'The issue of arms exclusivity is not new — we now refer to it as the disarmament of Hezbollah, but it was already part of the 1989 Taif Agreement, which called for extending the Lebanese state's authority over the entire national territory,' he stressed. Salam also said he had asked Abdullah II to continue supporting the Lebanese Army as it faces major challenges, particularly in the South, where Israeli forces remain present despite the cease-fire reached in November.
