Beirut: The World Bank has sanctioned a USD 350 million financing package to aid Lebanon's economically disadvantaged and enhance public services through digital transformation.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the funding will support two innovative projects aimed at expanding social protection, promoting economic inclusion for women, youth, and vulnerable groups, and accelerating the digitalization of essential public services. Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Division Director of the Middle East Department, emphasized that the financing seeks to bolster Lebanon's fragile recovery by advancing social protection, economic inclusion, and digital transformation.
The first initiative, the USD 200 million Social Safety Net Enhancement and System Building Project, is designed to fortify Lebanon's social protection framework and assist with government-funded cash transfers. This project will extend cash transfers to impoverished households while broadening access to economic opportunities and social services, particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable groups. Additionally, it will upgrade the DAEM platform into a comprehensive social registry to support multiple government programs, contributing to Lebanon's ongoing social protection reforms.
Concurrently, the USD 150 million Lebanon Digital Acceleration Project aims to improve citizen access to services, provide businesses with secure digital tools, and enhance governmental efficiency through upgraded digital platforms. This project will involve the development of secure and efficient infrastructure for hosting government data and investments in Lebanon's overall cybersecurity.
The digital acceleration project will also focus on building legal, institutional, and human capacity to ensure a trusted, inclusive digital transformation. It aims to promote the effective use of digital infrastructure and platforms while piloting the digitalization of select public services to potentially enhance government transparency, efficiency, citizen benefits, and climate resilience.