Would Paris III meet save Lebanons battered economy?
Bankers see support for reform as crucial at this stage By Osama Habib BEIRUT, Lebanon – Seasoned politicians and economists agree that nothing will work in Lebanon if there is no general consensus among the main political groups. This notion must be in the mind of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora as he prepares to travel to Paris on January 25 to persuade donor countries to reach deep into their pockets and provide badly needed cash to Lebanon and its embattled government. According to the premier, the Paris III conference may be Lebanon’s last chance to cut the swelling public debt and recover the battered economy. Armed with a 29 page recovery, reconstruction and reform paper, Siniora will approach the donor states with a simple formula: “No money from you, then no recovery for Lebanon.” It is almost certain that the donor countries will not turn their backs on Siniora, but the question remains whether the money committed to Lebanon be sufficient to address all of the country’s financia
