ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL3.SEP/2022/POLICY BRIEF.1
Country: Lebanese Republic
Publication Type: Policy briefs
Cluster: Shared Economic Prosperity, Governance and Conflict Prevention
Focus Area: Governance & enabling environment, Future of employment, Macroeconomics, Technology & innovation, Trade & regional connectivity
Initiatives: Improving competition and protecting consumers
SDGs: Agenda 2030
Keywords: Economic integration, Competition, Competition policy, Laws and regulations, Lebanon, Technical cooperation, Unemployment, Inflation, Productivity, Poverty, Innovations, Investments, Trade policy
Competition in Lebanon
March 2022
Lebanese markets are characterized by being small and highly concentrated. Many sectors are floundering with significant illegal competition, and the vital sectors in the Lebanese economy remain under the control of state-owned monopolies or a few oligopolies. The competition in the Lebanese markets was performing under weak and rarely enforced institutional and regulatory frameworks that failed to prevent oligopolistic and monopolistic structures.
The Lebanese parliament has enacted the competition law on 21 February 2022. This is an opportunity to help the revival of the Lebanese economy by building healthy and competitive markets. The paper highlights the benefits of effective enforcement of the Lebanese competition law on various economic and socio-economic topics. It also provides recommendations for the critical steps needed in the areas of enforcement and institutionalization to reap the gains of the law.
Related content
Governance & enabling environment
, Future of employment
, Macroeconomics
, Technology & innovation
, Trade & regional connectivity
,
Lebanese markets are characterized by being small and highly concentrated. Many sectors are floundering with significant illegal competition, and the vital sectors in the Lebanese economy remain under the control of state-owned monopolies or a few oligopolies. The competition in the Lebanese markets was performing under weak and rarely enforced institutional and regulatory frameworks that failed to prevent oligopolistic and monopolistic structures.
The Lebanese parliament has enacted the competition law on 21 February 2022. This is an opportunity to help the revival of the Lebanese economy by building healthy and competitive markets. The paper highlights the benefits of effective enforcement of the Lebanese competition law on various economic and socio-economic topics. It also provides recommendations for the critical steps needed in the areas of enforcement and institutionalization to reap the gains of the law.
