IMF Delegation to Visit Lebanon in Late September to Review Economic Reforms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced it will dispatch a team to Lebanon at the end of September 2025 to continue talks on a comprehensive reform program being developed by Beirut.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, IMF Communications Director Julie Kozack said discussions remain ongoing with the ultimate goal of finalizing a program that secures IMF backing.

Kozack noted that Lebanon’s economic challenges remain severe, with the Fund estimating a 7.5% contraction in 2024, following a smaller decline the year before. She stressed that a combination of fiscal discipline and financial support will be crucial to stabilizing the economy.

External assistance, she added, will play a decisive role: “The authorities’ reform efforts need substantial external support, ideally on highly concessional terms.” Lebanon has been seeking to rebuild ties with Gulf states to reopen opportunities for tourism and investment, while also pursuing cooperation with the UAE in energy, security, and other strategic sectors.

In August, Lebanese businessman Carlos Ghosn argued that Lebanon needs an IMF-backed framework to enforce fiscal discipline more than direct financing, suggesting that restored confidence could unlock up to $3 billion in remittances from the diaspora.

The IMF also confirmed that a mission will visit Egypt this fall to assess progress on its 46-month reform program, approved in December 2022. Kozack emphasized that while Egypt has achieved some macroeconomic stability, it is now time to move forward with deeper reforms to unlock higher growth potential.

Lebanon reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF in 2022 for about $3 billion in funding, but authorities have failed to implement the required reforms to activate the deal. Earlier this year, an IMF delegation visited Beirut on a fact-finding mission to meet with the new government.