Advisory Services Projects in Lebanon

In Lebanon, IFC PEP-MENA is engaged in several advisory services activities, including:


Business-Enabling Environment

• IFC PEP-MENA, in coordination with the World Bank Group's Foreign Investment and Advisory Service (FIAS) and the Ministry of Economy and Trade, has completed an administrative barriers study, as part of the Lebanon Investment Climate Assessment. IFC PEP-MENA is also engaged in the streamlining of business start-up procedures to reduce the regulatory burden on the private sector and attract more private investment capital in the country. Read more about the Business Regulatory Reform program...

Financial Sector

• IFC PEP-MENA focuses on improving small and medium enterprises' access to finance through advisory services to Kafalat - the SME guarantee organization in Lebanon. The objective of the cooperation between Kafalat and IFC is to develop Kafalat’s outreach and reinforce its capacity, in synergy with the operations of local financial institutions. In particular, IFC is assisting Kafalat in improving its internal processes, such as human resources organization and training, communications strategy, information technology, risk management and results measurement. Read more about the Bank Advisory Services program...

• In an effort to help create sustainable businesses through improved corporate governance, IFC is building the business case for good governance among banks and companies in Lebanon, which is expected to increase their access to capital at competitive rates, improve their operational efficiency, and create trust among stakeholders; introducing corporate governance courses for directors, thus building sustainable capacity for corporate governance reforms; and developing a set of corporate governance guidelines for banks, aimed at providing a national benchmark for good governance. In addition, IFC completed a survey of corporate governance practices in the banking sector and advised Bank Audi on ways to improve its corporate governance framework, policies and practices in-line with international best practices for good corporate governance.. Read more about the Corporate Governance program...

• IFC PEP MENA's Microfinance program organized a Post Conflict Round-Table for microfinance institutions in Lebanon in January 2007 to share international post conflict experience with Lebanese microfinance institutions and other sector actors. Read more about the Microfinance program...

SME Development

In addition to advisory services to support Kafalat, Lebanon’s SME agency, IFC is also investigating the feasibility of developing an SME project to support the agricultural sector in its recovery from the July 2006 conflict and Lebanon's potential accession to the World Trade Organization.


Public-Private Partnership and Privatization

IFC is providing transaction advisory assistance to the Government of Lebanon to introduce private sector participation in the power sector for:

• a new 450 MW IPP under private initiative that will supply electricity to Electricité du Liban (“EdL”), the main electricity utility
• the sale/concessioning of an existing similar capacity power generation plant at Deir Amaar.

The project aims to help support Lebanon's power sector by improving access and reliability of electricity supply, reducing the dependence on governmental subsidies, and diminishing electricity production costs.

IFC also assisted the Central Bank of Lebanon in the privatization process of Banque Libanaise pour le Commerce (BLC) by providing it with an independent valuation of BLC.
Read more about the PPP/P program...