The quality of Lebanon’s infrastructure is amongst the poorest regionally and globally. In fact, out of 137 countries, Lebanon ranks 130 in quality of overall infrastructure.
This has been induced by low public spending on infrastructure, a consequence of the county’s debt burden as well as the longterm absence of a budget. The Capital Investment Plan (CIP) can be an effective tool to help reinforce Lebanon’s delipidated infrastructure, abetting a boost in economic growth. The Government of Lebanon has requested from the World Bank an assessment of the CIP.
This paper presents an assessment for the projects in the CIP by the World Bank Group, which has had a long-term engagement with Lebanon, both sectorally and cross-sectorally. The assessment was undertaken on the basis of the listing presented in Annex A, information provided in the Government’s own Capital Investment Plan document, as well as other adhoc information. Each project in the CIP requires an independent appraisal as per highest standards. In addition, a sustainable macro-fiscal framework and debt strategy are essential for a successful implementation of the CIP.
The IMF is taking the lead on a macro-fiscal assessment for the CIP, which will be presented at the Paris conference.
Strategic Assessment: A Capital Investment Plan For Lebanon- Investment Opportunities and Reforms (full report in PDF format)