Jaber opens Arab Forum on Public Finance, Budgeting in Beirut
11/12/2025 4:39:00 PM
Finance Minister, Yassine Jaber, on Wednesday inaugurated the Arab Forum on Public Finance and Budgeting at the UN House in Beirut, welcoming ESCWA Acting Executive Secretary Dr. Mourad Wahba and UNICEF Regional Director for MENA Edward Beigbeder.
Jaber said the forum comes “at a critical time for our region,” amid overlapping security, political, and economic challenges, stressing the need for sound fiscal management to restore citizens’ trust in state institutions.
Moreover, Jaber noted that Lebanon and the region have long suffered from crisis-driven policies, adding that “today’s meeting carries a message of hope, that our region can rise from crises toward a new social contract based on transparency and efficiency.”
He underscored that public budgets are “not merely accounting tools but mirrors of societal priorities,” calling for sustainable debt management, better-targeted social spending, and investment in human capital.
Jaber thanked ESCWA and UNICEF for supporting the initiative and expressed hope that the forum would strengthen Arab cooperation and lay foundations for “a more stable and prosperous future.”
Jaber said the forum comes “at a critical time for our region,” amid overlapping security, political, and economic challenges, stressing the need for sound fiscal management to restore citizens’ trust in state institutions.
Moreover, Jaber noted that Lebanon and the region have long suffered from crisis-driven policies, adding that “today’s meeting carries a message of hope, that our region can rise from crises toward a new social contract based on transparency and efficiency.”
He underscored that public budgets are “not merely accounting tools but mirrors of societal priorities,” calling for sustainable debt management, better-targeted social spending, and investment in human capital.
Jaber thanked ESCWA and UNICEF for supporting the initiative and expressed hope that the forum would strengthen Arab cooperation and lay foundations for “a more stable and prosperous future.”