Koshtban Families Sunnis in Saida
A koshtban (thimble) is a small metal cap used by tailors to protect their fingers when sewing. It is rarely used today as hand-sewing has been replaced by sewing machines.
Deir Serian: No Monastery, no Syriac, but Shia’a
Deir Serian is a village in the Qada’a of Marjeyoun. Its name suggests that it is a Christian village, yet, in fact, it is Shiite.
CDR after 40 years USD 11 billion of projects
In 1977, after the election of Elias Sarkis as president and the formation of a new government under the leadership of Dr. Salim Hoss, officials wrongly believed that the Lebanese war was over. They decided to establish the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) to rebuild what had been...
95 Associations have a 'Social Welfare' status: Sectarian and Political Quotas
Lebanese NGOs, which number more than 7,000, are classified into various types and levels.
Grade 1 Posts 157 Posts Monopolized by the Zua’ama of Sects
By definition, public service jobs serve society and improve the various services provided to citizens by the state. In Lebanon, however, they are monopolized by the Zua’ama of the 18 Lebanese sects. The politicians distribute public service jobs among their unqualified supporters
Donations To The Lebanese Government In 2016
Companies, Lebanese individuals, countries, and international organizations grant the Lebanese government donations of around LBP 75 billion. The majority of these donations are directed to the military forces, namely the Internal Security Forces and Lebanese Army. In 2016, 315 grants and...
Capital Punishment and Mathematics in Lebanon
In 2004, the European Union and several other organizations opposed the death penalty carried out by the Lebanese government against three persons convicted of murder. Since that date, Lebanon has frozen the implementation of its capital punishment law. Yet, following several murders recently,...
LBP 12 billion of “supplemental appropriations” in the public budgets (1992-2016)
Public budgets estimate detailed data for all state revenues and expenditures, but they are often inaccurate. Expenditures are always higher than revenues, which leads to an increase in the deficit and to supplemental appropriations that would cover budget shortfalls. The following table shows that...
Shocking news: USD 12 billion spent on electricity over seven years
Shocking news: USD 12 billion spent on electricity over seven years
The Council of Ministers held a session on Monday July 18, 2016, at 10 a.m. to “delve deeply into the situation of public finance based on a report by the Ministry of Finance”. The figures included in the report are...
59 additional staff in the Directorate of Expenditures
The Directorate of Expenditures is a department in the Ministry of Finance. It is the body that scrutinizes and pays governmental administrative expenses such as the salaries of employees and retirees
