On February 1, 2023, MP Fouad Makhzoumi organized a workshop attended by 30 MPs representing most parliamentary blocs and political parties to meet with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) team in Lebanon. The team included the IMF’s Resident Representative, Federico Lima, and Economic Advisors Haneen Al-Faqih and Rita Asmar.

During the meeting, the MPs expressed their commitment to engaging transparently with the IMF to discuss the reform laws the Fund expects Parliament to pass, in line with the reform measures it called for in the staff-level agreement signed with Lebanon in April 2022. The MPs and IMF representatives also expressed their readiness to engage in open and transparent dialogue to accelerate the drafting and adoption of the required reform legislation, paving the way for an agreement with the IMF as soon as a president of the republic is elected and a new government is formed in Lebanon.

The MPs, who represented the positions of their respective parliamentary blocs, highlighted the importance of the following:

• Clarity and transparency in explaining the IMF’s role, programmes, and procedures.

• Clarification of the IMF’s position on the government’s recovery plan and the legislation associated with it.

All MPs expressed their full support for the IMF programme, stressing the need to gain a better understanding of its criteria and to work together toward a programme that serves Lebanon’s interests.

During the meeting, a document outlining a fundamental roadmap to help Lebanon overcome its financial and economic crisis and ultimately reach a final agreement with the IMF was distributed. All MPs present, representing their respective parliamentary blocs, approved the document. It is attached to the statement.

Following the meeting, a group comprising most parliamentary blocs was established to maintain follow-up and communication with the IMF team regarding the legislation and measures related to the Fund’s programme.