As a follow up on the “Blue Print document on Market Development” issued by the CMA in coordination with the World Bank in March 2017, the World Bank team overseeing the developments visited the new CMA headquarters in Rome street, Hamra, for a seven day period where they had the chance to meet with key personnel at the CMA, Banque Du Liban, Kafalat, Midclear and private sector financial institutions. During their visit, the WB Team stressed on the significant challenges that the Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) market is facing in Lebanon due to the increasing bottlenecks in the political landscape, which in turn carries an undesirable economic slowdown in the country.

Meeting with the CMA Board, the World Bank team supporting the capital markets development in Lebanon will provide in the coming weeks an overview assessment of the challenges that could be mitigated on the short term in order to facilitate SME involvement in capital markets based on their findings in Beirut, and at the request of the Capital Markets Authority.

Commenting on the visit, World Bank team leader Ms. Ana Fiorella Carvajal said that “what we see in Lebanon is not unique whereby capital markets development depends on so many factors and players – a challenge by itself” noting that the CMA has done significant efforts in this regard, and by that it has managed to create better confidence in the market and enhanced investor protection.