For your information

The first few days of February are probably nota time finance minister George Corm would liketo relive. Before his 2000 budget could bepassed through an unruly parliament, Cormwas the target …

TRABOULSI: Our capacity for producing electricity is around 2,200 megawatts. The Beddawi and Zahrani plants produce 900 megawatts, Zouk 550 megawatts, Jieh 300 megawatts, Litani about 150 megawatts, Baalbak and …

The banking sector in an economy is an important determinant of economic growth. It raises funds from those who have an “excess” of capital and lends them to those with …

Sell Fast, a company founded by Kheireddine Fakhoury and Kamal Sinno in 1994, is a concept designed for an economically challenged country like Lebanon. The idea was to stock a …

Beirut’s experience is typical. The city is owed money by just about everybody. “Nobody is paying us on time. The Independent Municipal Fund is way behind and we’re concerned that …

By early next year, the government is expected to launchits development plan – a sequel to last year’s five-yearfiscal program. Although little is known about its contentand coverage, one expects …

Steady streams of unmistakable yellow cabs snaking throughthe streets of Manhattan dominate the view of New York fromatop the Empire State building. Beirut might be just as saturatedwith taxis, but …

Bartering in Lebanon is nothing new (see ‘Barter frenzy’,October 1999). In fact, it is common in construction,advertising and insurance, where goods and services aretraded in a cashless transaction. For example, …

As darkness descends on Beirut’sinternational airport, couriers arebusy clearing incoming shipments.Enter one colonel from the army’s customsbrigade. He barks orders that shipmentsover 20 kilos should be stopped, quoting anobscure 1959 …