Jaber Discusses with IMF Delegation on Preparations for Next Week's Visit

Announced by the media office of the Ministry of Finance in a statement, "In preparation for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation's visit to Beirut next week, which will last a full week and include a series of meetings and discussions with relevant government departments, Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber held a preparatory meeting with an IMF delegation comprising the resident representative in Lebanon, Yahya Sa'id, and the IMF team, attended by the minister's concerned advisors. This was followed by a technical meeting chaired by General Director of Public Finance Georges Maalouf with Sa'id and the IMF team, addressing financial and fiscal issues under the reform program.

In the opening remarks of the meeting convened by Minister Jaber, Sa'id congratulated Jaber on the adoption of the Banks Reform Law (BRL), stating that achieving this milestone represents a significant advancement in addressing the financial and banking crisis.

The discussion between Jaber and the IMF delegation particularly focused on upcoming steps related to the Fiscal Gap Law (Gap Law), considered the next major reform priority. Progress made on this file was reviewed, along with outstanding points requiring further discussion and alignment of views, paving the way for intensive negotiations during the IMF mission next week.

The meeting also addressed the draft 2027 budget and several related financial and economic issues, within an integrated approach aimed at continuing momentum toward reform and financial recovery.

Minister Jaber emphasized that the current priority is maintaining reform momentum, building on achieved progress, and overcoming remaining obstacles through practical and constructive dialogue, enabling tangible progress on core issues and contributing to restoring confidence in Lebanon’s financial and economic sectors.

In the technical meeting with Maalouf, the focus centered on the path toward reforming the tax system, particularly the new Income Tax Law draft. The importance of preserving the Ministry of Finance’s leading role in shaping reform was reaffirmed, alongside leveraging technical feedback and consultations with relevant stakeholders, to develop a modern, implementable law that enhances compliance, broadens the tax base, and meets growth and investment requirements.

Participants also discussed ongoing work on estimating the Tax Gap, regarded as a fundamental tool for identifying non-compliance and uncollected revenues, enhancing tax administration effectiveness, and improving revenue mobilization.

The discussion highlighted the importance of developing a Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS), enabling tax policy to be embedded within a comprehensive and integrated framework, alongside the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework (MTFF) and its development needs, thereby strengthening economic and financial forecasts, improving revenue and expenditure estimates, and helping identify financial risks and possible scenarios—supporting budget preparation and enhancing fiscal sustainability.

These two meetings are part of the broader preparations for the technical discussions the IMF will conduct with the Ministry of Finance and relevant government agencies during its upcoming visit, allowing for continued examination of reform issues, alignment on priorities and fiscal and tax obligations, and building on the progress already achieved in the reform process.

Separately, Jaber received American University of Beirut President Fadlo Khoury.