This document presents the index of Lebanon economic freedom. The score is 53.2, making its economy the 140th freest in the 2018 Index. Its overall score has decreased by 0.1 point, with declines in labor freedom, property rights, and government integrity outweighing improvements in judicial effectiveness, monetary freedom, and government spending. Lebanon is ranked 12th among 14 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, and its overall score is below the regional and world averages. Lebanon has a free-market tradition and a strong history of private commercial activity. Notwithstanding stark divisions within government and the vested interests of different confessional groups, there has been some progress in reforming the tax code. Legislation on improving the tax and regulatory environment for hydrocarbons development to attract foreign investment and on public–private partnerships to address serious infrastructure shortcomings also has been approved. Nevertheless, the economy performs weakly because of ongoing fiscal and current-account deficits.

The document presents that the Foreign investors and Lebanese nationals can equally establish businesses with no restrictions all over the country.

The Lebanese Industrial Research Achievements "LIRA" aims to building effective cooperation between industry, academia, and research centers to address the research and development needs of the Lebanese industry, empower the industrial sector with innovations leading to the promotion of competitiveness and productivity, and achieving a transition from a welfare economy to a knowledge-based economy. Since its inception, the LIRA program has managed to provide researchers in universities and vocational schools career opportunities that suit their capabilities and potential. Furthermore, the program has brought about a great achievement for the national industrial sector by increasing its competitiveness, creating higher added value products, developing production lines, and by introducing locally-made low cost high-tech production equipment.

This document examines the integrated vision for Lebanese Industrial Sector and the importance of supporting the sector to achieve an inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

This issue of SIF «Statistics In Focus» looks briefly at the labour market key indicators and figures available from a number of surveys conducted by the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) in Lebanon in recent years. Its objective is to provide users with important information on the Lebanese labour market enabling them to understand the current situation and to compare Lebanon to neighbouring countries.