Jaber moves internationally… to re-adjust World Bank loans to confront the damages of the war

Finance Minister Yassin Jaber participated in the opening session of the joint annual meetings of the Arab financial bodies for the year 2026, which was held virtually “remotely” instead of the meetings that were scheduled in person in Abu Dhabi.

Lebanon is represented in the joint sessions by the Director General of Finance, George Maarawi, where the Lebanese interventions focus on the exceptional situation that the country is going through as a result of the intersection of the financial crisis with the repercussions of the war and the Israeli attacks, which directly affected the economy, public finances, and the state’s ability to meet its needs.

Lebanon will confirm its commitment to the reform path by enhancing revenues, improving tax compliance, modernizing tax administration towards digital systems, and developing cash and public debt management and transparency.

At the level of receptions, Minister Jaber discussed with the Chairman of the Parliamentary Economics Committee, Representative Farid Al-Bustani, urgent economic issues and banking reform legislation due to the need to accelerate its approval.

The two sides proposed the idea of ​​holding a joint meeting between the Finance, Budget, and Economy committees to exchange ideas to serve financial and economic recovery. Jaber also received the President of the Lebanese University, Professor Bassam Badran, where a comprehensive review of the university’s conditions took place.

In the afternoon, Minister Jaber held a working meeting with the head of the World Bank office in Lebanon, Enrico Armas, in continuation of the recent Washington talks. The meeting discussed the mechanisms adopted to address crises by redirecting some existing loans with the World Bank towards urgent priorities, with the aim of improving the response to the damages resulting from war and displacement.