The steady decrease in Kafalat loans, which dropped by 17.2 percent in the first 10 months of the year compared to the same period of time in 2012 is likely to increase even further by the end of year due to the instable security situation in Lebanon, according to Kafalat chairman Dr. Khater Abi Habib. This comes off the back of a 16.4 percent drop between 2011 and 2012. However, the decrease in Kafalat loans is one of the country’s few maladies that cannot be dismissed as just another instance of Lebanon’s dire economic circumstances. While most sectors have experienced a slight or significant decrease in extended loans, many have remained constant, while the high technology sector actually saw a fair increase. Kafalat has presented an extraordinary resource for entrepreneurs since its inception in 1999 at the initiative of the government, the Association of Banks, the central bank, and the
