Knockout Blow to Smuggling: Lebanon Launches Largest Customs Restructuring in Over a Decade

The Supreme Customs Council issued appointments covering 44 employees, including 19 first inspectors and 25 inspectors, in the broadest reshuffle witnessed by the Customs Administration in 13 years, to be completed within the next two weeks with appointments for lower-ranking staff.

The appointments were approved during the Council session on October 30, 2026, chaired by Brigadier General Mesbah Khalil, with direct follow-up from Minister of Finance Yassin Jaber, and after consulting Director General of Customs Grazia Kouzi, to be implemented within a maximum period of one week.

The appointments affect Beirut Port, Rafic Hariri International Airport, and the Masnaa, Abboudieh, and Al-Arida crossings, in addition to Qlayaat Airport, covering key locations at land, sea, and air entry points. The aim is to fill vacancies, apply the principle of rotation, activate work in customs departments, prioritizing inspection, auditing, value verification, and anti-smuggling efforts.

Strengthening these departments aims to tighten control over the movement of goods and passengers, reduce loopholes that allow smuggling and manipulation of customs values, thereby protecting the national economy and enhancing public revenue collection. This coincides with efforts to simplify procedures, shorten clearance times, and alleviate burdens on importers, exporters, and traders, to accelerate legitimate trade movement and improve services.

This step also falls under preparations for Lebanon's role in regional connectivity projects being worked on by the Ministry of Finance with the World Bank, particularly developing transport, trade, and energy corridors, which require a customs administration capable of keeping pace with exchange movements through ports, airports, and land crossings.

Enhancing customs control also supports national efforts to combat money laundering, smuggling, and illicit financial flows across borders, contributing to the path of fulfilling Lebanon's commitments to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and working to exit the grey list and restore international confidence.

The appointments come within a reform track followed by Minister Jaber, in cooperation with the Supreme Customs Council, its president Brigadier General Mesbah Khalil, and members Louai Haj Shihada and Charbel Khalil, and Director General of Customs Grazia Kouzi, aiming to develop the customs administration, enhance transparency and accountability, and adopt competence in distributing responsibilities, reflecting positively on regular work and serving citizens and public institutions domestically and abroad.