Lebanon today : Friday March 29th Top news

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Here are the top stories for Lebanon today:

saad-hariri-wins-confidence-voteLebanon PM returns to Beirut after heart procedure in Paris

His office said the 48-year-old premier returned late Thursday but is not expected to carry out official functions until next week.

 

World Bank Vice President for Middle East and North Africa Farid Belhaj
World Bank Vice President for Middle East and North Africa Farid Belhaj

No reforms , no money, World Bank tells Lebanon

Lebanon is lagging behind on enacting crucial economic reforms that the country has promised in order to unlock funding from the international community, a World Bank official said Friday during a visit to Beirut. The World Bank pledged some $4 billion for infrastructure projects in Lebanon at the CEDRE donor conference nearly a year ago, the largest single share of the $11 billion total. Like the other donors at the conference, it has said the funding is conditional upon the reforms. If Lebanon wants to see any money from CEDRE soon, it needs get serious about implementing reforms. He said.

EDL headquarters in Beirut Lebanon. The sign reads Electricité du Liban - customer service . The state-owned electricity company is considered one of the biggest drains on the state budget, costing about $1.5 billion a year, depending on international oil prices. Tariffs have not gone up since 1996, even though many Lebanese say they would happily pay more if they could get 24-hour power instead of relying on costly neighborhood generators.
EDL headquarters in Beirut Lebanon. The sign reads Electricité du Liban – customer service . The state-owned electricity company is considered one of the biggest drains on the state budget, costing about $1.5 billion a year, depending on international oil prices. Tariffs have not gone up since 1996, even though many Lebanese say they would happily pay more if they could get 24-hour power instead of relying on costly neighborhood generators.

Fixing Lebanon’s ruinous electricity crisis

Lebanon has not had capacity to supply 24-hour electricity since its 1975-1990 civil war, leaving many households reliant on their own generators or private neighborhood suppliers who charge hefty fees to keep a few lights on or other appliances running during regular daily cuts that can last several hours.The government, World Bank and International Monetary Fund all say electricity reform is vital to cutting debt, now equivalent to about 150 percent of gross domestic product.

 

Marcus LemonisWatch out Lebanon, Marcus Lemonis is coming back to discover the secrets of his past

 The star of the The Profit, a CNBC reality show  about saving small businesses  is coming back to Lebanon  for the first time since he was born in 1973. Marcus Anthony Lemonis is  a Lebanese-born American businessman, television personality, philanthropist and politician. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Camping World, Good Sam Enterprises, Gander Outdoors and The House Boardshop

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