Low international expectations for Lebanon growth rate in 2014

IMF released a new report in which it warns against the current political crisis in Lebanon and the implications of the Syrian crisis on the economy and on poverty and unemployment.  The report expects a growth rate of 1.8% for the current year and 2.5% for the coming year.  The IMF also repeated its call for structural reforms in order to increase growth in the medium-term, to help create new jobs and to improve livelihoods, stressing that market and educational system reforms are likely to increase social capital and productivity.
In a related vein, the World Bank announced that the Lebanese economy is stiff affected by regional political and military development.  The World Bank predicted a growth of not mores than 1.5% in 2014 while noting that the raging war in Syria and the continuous influx of Syrian refugees have had a very negative affect on the environment especially given the currently blocked political situation in the country.
Source: Al-Mustaqbal 9 October 2014