Defense minister calls on army to respect public procurement code

BEIRUT — In a rather unusual public move, Defense Minister Michel Menassa called on the leadership of the Lebanese Army to implement and respect the public procurement code when placing orders.

He made his remarks from Yarzeh (Baabda) during a meeting with the director general of administration, Brigadier General Mohammad al-Amine, as well as a number of officers from the general directorate of administration.

According to a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency (NNA,) the minister provided participants with general guidelines regarding the operation of tender commissions, stressing "the need to fully respect the provisions of the public procurement law and the circulars issued by the Public Procurement Authority," the body tasked with overseeing proper management of public contracts.

The minister also discussed a series of "practical solutions aimed at removing obstacles and improving workflow."

Lebanon reformed its public procurement code in 2021 through a law whose provisions have been amended in some respects. The Lebanese Army is currently under significant pressure, between the need to maintain security on the border with Syria — where Bashar al-Assad's regime was overthrown less than a year ago — and the mandate to deploy in South Lebanon to disarm militias, including Hezbollah and those sheltered in Palestinian camps.