Activities

A meeting was conducted with Minister Najla Riachi in the office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform – OMSAR on November 29, 2023. The discussions highlighted the existence of the “ Lebanon Digital Transformation Strategy 2020- 2023,” updated by the minister to respond to Lebanon’s current needs in this sector. Mrs. Riachi shed…

On November 27, 2023, Ola Hariri held a meeting with Ali Hijazi, Country Representative and Programs Director at CORUS International Lebanon. Through its economic growth portfolio, CORUS International is tackling Financial and Economic inclusion in Lebanon through a gender-focused approach targeting Lebanese women entrepreneurs. Mr. Hijazi shared Corus’s belief that Microfinance “Access to Financial and…

Ola Hariri conducted a brief meeting on October 10, 2023, with Mr. Antony Jabbour, Managing Director at Cedar Oxygen International. Jabbour highlighted solutions to enhance investment in Lebanon, discussing the importance of establishing a national fund akin to the Cedar Fund experience and working through foreign investment banks. He emphasized prioritizing investment in impactful sectors…

In a meeting held on October 11, 2023, with the Ministry of Environment’s advisors, Vahakan Kabakian and Manal Moussallem, extensive discussions addressed key strategies to improve Lebanon’s environmental situation within the microfinance sector. Several critical points were explored: a focus on the current plans initiated by the present Prime Minister, aiming to attract investors despite…

On September 21, 2023, Ola Hariri participated in the “IMPEXLEB” event, which aims to promote entrepreneurship and private sector development by building a supportive ecosystem for import and export in Lebanon. This one-day workshop, organized by Junior Chamber International (JCI) Lebanon and SPARK NGO as part of the “From Innovation to Creation” Program funded by…

The lobbying agent for the Micro Finance Policy Knowledge Paper – ReSt@rts Project, participated in September 12, 2023 in the Structured Dialogue roundtable with civil society organizations under the EU-funded BINA’ -Building Integrity and National Accountability – project collaboratively carried out with Transparency International, Transparency International Lebanon, and the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS).…

On September 7, 2023, Ola Hariri participated in the Second Policy Awareness Event in Rome to highlight the role and the situation of the Lebanese microfinance sector. The Second Policy Awareness Event in Rome featured experts from the six Mediterranean countries sharing insights on microfinance and offering data-driven recommendations. This event demonstrated the strength of…

In Rome, we united public policy experts from Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Palestine, and Tunisia. They shared insightful data and exchanged knowledge on their recent findings about the status, challenges in their local, and suggested data-driven recommendations on growth opportunities in access to finance for non-bankable youth and women. With the presence of our dedicated…

The Ministry of Economics and Trade convened meetings with Dr. Mohamad Abou Haidar, the ministry’s General Director, and Mrs. Sara Sydani, Advisor to the General Director of the Ministry of Economics, focusing on vital strategies for bolstering Lebanon’s SME sector. Discussions outlined plans for creating a Mutual Fund in line with the SME draft law,…

The Case for more Social & Solidarity Economy in Today’s Lebanon