Midel members meet with Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, center left, in Beirut, Sept. 25, 2026. (Credit: Midel)
The International Movement of Lebanese Enterprises (Midel) has asked Finance Minister Yassin Jaber to establish a “permanent, transparent and regular channel of communication between the Finance Ministry and the private sector” as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government reviews the draft 2027 budget.
“The state and the private sector are not adversaries, but partners and allies in the process of rebuilding the economy and restoring growth and confidence,” Midel President Fouad Zmokhol said, according to a statement released Thursday following a meeting between the association and the minister in Beirut.
In addition to the draft budget, discussions covered ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund [IMF], “as well as upcoming deadlines and international contacts.” Salam is due to travel to Washington in the coming days to meet with IMF and World Bank officials, ahead of the institutions’ annual meetings in October in the U.S. capital. Jaber is expected to lead the Lebanese delegation to those meetings.
On the budget, Midel urged the government not to increase the tax burden on companies that already pay their taxes and instead focus on those that evade them.