December 2005-January 2006



Editorial




looking back




Economy



Time is ripe for tough reform
Time id ripe for tough reformSyria's military withdrawal and the country's first free elections in decades were viewed as te harbingers of economic recovery in Lebanon.Now the economic future is in our own hands






Banking




Finance







Insurance



The hopes of insurers go up in smoke
Expectations for growth in the insurance sector are dashed in 2005



Tourism







Industry




Real estate



BCD property prices stay on the rise
Downtown remains a hot location in 2005,as prices stabilize









Retail



Reeling in customers in good times and bad
The retail sector weathered the storm of 2005 through a mid-year pick-up in tourism and by launching promotional campaigns.While retail growth depends on sustained calm,Beirut could yet be a regional retail hub









Telecom



Telecom reforms get jammed in the system
A year on,telecom services remain as dismal as ever









Capitalist culure