Amidst challenges of many folds and a multi-facet economic and financial crisis, Lebanon was able to mark a key milestone on the path of needed structural reforms. After one year of discussions in Parliament and wide consultation process with concerned stakeholders, the Public Procurement Law in Lebanon no. 244/2021 was voted and issued on July 19, 2021 then published in the Official Gazette on July 29, 2021. It enters into force in July 2022.

The Public Procurement Law is key for Lebanon to improving financial governance, market competition and promote transparency and accountability on the use of taxpayers’ money. It ensures a solid, modern and unified legal framework for transform public procurement into a strategic instrument for economic recovery and restoration of investors and citizens’ trust.
The law was drafted, discussed and promulgated in light of international standards and guidelines (UNCITRAL Model Law and OECD Guiding principles), and based on the recommendations of Lebanon’s MAPS assessment, and the technical guidance and support from international partners, namely the World Bank, OECD-SIGMA, and the Agence Française de Développement.
The Government has a tight timeframe until July 2022 to ensure the readiness of the institutional and governance framework, implement capacity building to all concerned parties and establish the central electronic platform.

The Lebanese Parliament in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan has organized a roundtable discussion in the framework the awareness raising efforts and national dialogue to prepare for the sound entry into force of the Public Procurement Law no. 244/2021. It brought together policy makers, judges, lawyers, legal and policy experts, members of syndicates and key stakeholders concerned with the advancement of Public Procurement reform in Lebanon, to getting a better understanding of general requirements for the application of efficient, competitive and transparent procurement systems, actively promoted by international standards, such as the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Public Procurement (2011), the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA 2012) and the European Union Directives (2014).

An eye opener for Lebanon’s policy choices, the roundtable featured key international support and policy-oriented initiatives and mechanisms supporting developing countries towards achieving better procurement value and transparent data-driven processes, while shedding light on ingredients of success towards better economic and societal outcomes

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