President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, asserted the importance of implementing the digital transformation strategy, especially as it is the obligatory passage to combat corruption and enhance transparency. The President also emphasized the necessity of activating the principle of accountability and eliminating the scourge of mediation and violations, “Which prevents citizens from passing through regular forces to reach their rights”.

The President had received State Minister for Administrative Development, Najla Riachi, today at Baabda Palace.

During the meeting, President Aoun expressed his full support for the ministry’s efforts, and considered that the implementation of this strategy will transfer Lebanon to the modern state to which the Lebanese citizen aspires. “This will restore confidence in the state, and will restore the confidence of the international community in Lebanon and the confidence of investors in the state” President Aoun said.

Statement:

“I was honored to meet His Excellency, President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun. I presented the most important achievements that have been accomplished since I assumed my duties in the Ministry of State for Administrative Development until now, and the plans and projects that we are currently working to approve and implement, most notably the fight against corruption, digital transformation, and the development and advancement of the public sector.

Regarding combating corruption, which is at the core of the powers of the Ministry of State for Administrative Development and in light of recent developments, His Excellency the President, has set out the publication of the first annual report for the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy, as well as the appointment of the head and members of the National Anti-Corruption Authority and coordination with its head to hold a contract its first meeting. The meeting addressed the challenges facing the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy and ways to confront these challenges.

I felt the President’s full support for the efforts of our ministry in this regard and his insistence on taking what is necessary to reach the three objectives of the strategy: enhancing transparency, activating accountability, and preventing impunity.

Concerning digital transformation, which is a core issue for Lebanon due to its importance in preventing corruption, enhancing transparency, developing management, improving public services for citizens, stimulating the economy, creating job opportunities, and strengthening the link between the Lebanese economy and the global economy, the President was briefed on the plan of the Ministry of State for Administrative Development.

This plan aims at developing and approving a comprehensive national strategy for digital transformation that contributes to restoring the citizen’s confidence in the state by providing electronic services with full transparency to improve the investment and business environment and enable the state to coordinate and network between electronic and digital servers and platforms. This enhances transparency and establishes the rules of governance in the management of the ICT sector.

On the issue of public sector development and support, His Excellency was briefed on the role of our ministry in this context, as work is currently concentrated on negotiating with Lebanon’s international partners and the United Nations organizations to provide work requirements for public sector employees, especially in terms of supporting the provision of necessary and required electronic equipment and tools for advancement in this sector, working in parallel between supporting public employees and activating accountability, to reach effective governance of the government sector”.

Housing Bank General Manager:

The President met the Director General of the Housing Bank, Antoine Habib.

Habib briefed President Aoun on the affairs of the bank and the loans it will grant, in addition to the results of the recent elections for a new board of directors after the resignation of the former chairman of the board of directors, Joseph Sassine, whose term has expired.

Statement:

After the meeting, Mr. Habib made the following statement:

“His Excellency the President was briefed on the results of the Housing Bank elections, which unanimously resulted in the election of a new board of directors and a new head of the bank after the resignation of the friend, President Joseph Sassine, whose term expired.

I thanked President Aoun for following up on the affairs of the Housing Bank and its role in taking care of social and housing affairs and stimulating the economic cycle. I also hoped that the government would expedite the appointment of representatives from it on the bank’s board of directors so that all is complete and we can move to implementing the financing plan in general, especially through the loan of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, which is known as the Kuwaiti loan. This loan amounts to 50 million Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to 165 million US dollars. This is so that we can provide housing loans only, and I stress on the word only, to people with limited and medium incomes, and reduce the emigration of our youth abroad”.

Questions & Answers:

In response to a question about the date of the start of granting loans, Mr. Habib said: “We are waiting for the answer of our people in Kuwait to release the Kuwaiti loan, which may require a visit from us to move this file, bearing in mind that the Kuwaiti loan has been approved by the Parliament. We are waiting for the loan to be disbursed by Kuwait, and it has been granted by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development three years ago, so that the distribution of loans will begin, and the borrower will be able to benefit through this from a specific housing loan whose value is today at 800 million Lebanese pounds by private funds, but if it is from the Kuwait Fund, its value will be 600 million Lebanese pounds. It should be noted that the bank’s management has the authority to increase the value of this loan if necessary”.

Regarding the categories which the Housing Bank will grant these loans to, Mr. Habib said “The youth category is certainly the first group targeted by this program, especially since our youth migrate because they are unable to secure a home for them to settle in. When we secure a home for young people through the Housing Bank, even a small house, the young man will be able to get married and leave his family in Lebanon if he wants to travel to KSA, Africa or Gulf states, to work and pay the loan. The primary target is an individual with medium income. In the Housing Bank we do not need to grant loans to people with high incomes, our task is to participate in seeking solutions to the existing situation, while preserving our youth and limiting their emigration.

If these young people are granted loans to secure a home for them, even if they decide to travel to the Gulf and work to pay this loan, then we will have contributed to solving a large part of the problem. Housing loans contribute today, to moving the economic cycle, the real estate sector and land trade. We affirm that we need a government move to obtain this Kuwaiti loan. The new board of directors is elected for a period of 3 years, and soon it will start granting loans. If this process is not accomplished through the Kuwaiti loan, then it is likely that the board of directors will take a decision to grant loans from private funds”.

Source: National News Agency