Decentralization in Lebanon: Implementation, Finances, and Practical Implications

The administrative decentralization project is provided for in the Taëf Agreement (1989) but has not yet been implemented. However, many studies have been carried out for this purpose, without success. A look back at a reform in waiting.

The concrete implementation of administrative decentralization in Lebanon relies on strengthening local councils, particularly at the caza level, which constitute the second tier after municipalities. According to Rayanne Assaf, doctor of law and legal affairs officer at the presidency between 2008 and 2014, “the decentralization project stipulates that within each caza, citizens elect, under a majority system, a general committee composed of representatives from all localities, even those without municipalities (to ensure the best geographical representation). This committee then elects the caza's board of directors according to a proportional system.”

Each board of directors would be composed of twelve members, endowed with broad powers to ensure local development and resource management. This administrative architecture would allow the population to directly control the actions of their representatives, thereby strengthening accountability and limiting the practices of clientelism and feudalism that have long characterized Lebanese political life.

Administrative autonomy and competence criteria

Ms. Assaf emphasizes the importance of establishing specific conditions to guarantee the effectiveness of local councils. “Caza council members must hold a university degree,” she specifies, to ensure that officials have the necessary skills to manage budgets, coordinate projects, and oversee regional development. This technical requirement aims to professionalize local administration and establish a standard of competence for all councils, thereby reducing the risks of mismanagement.

This approach contributes to creating a direct link between the competence of elected officials and citizen satisfaction. The population will be able to see concrete results of the caza council's work, which promotes closer citizen control and better transparency in the management of public affairs.

Financial resources

One of the most critical points of decentralization concerns financial resources. Ms. Assaf insists that there is no “financial decentralization” in Lebanon. “We speak rather of financial autonomy, because it is impossible to transfer powers without providing the necessary means for their exercise,” she explains.

Currently, municipalities have revenues, particularly from telecommunications taxes, as well as other sources. Funds are deposited in the autonomous municipal fund but do not allow municipalities to fully carry out their missions.

Municipalities legally have broad powers, but are unable to exercise them satisfactorily and appropriately due to insufficient financial means.

The decentralization project plans to replace the autonomous municipal fund with a decentralized fund, designed to ensure balanced development between regions. This will be based on precise criteria and indicators, four in number with specific coefficients, to correct inequalities and support less developed areas.

By broadening the geographical scope of resource collection and redistribution, the project aims to increase the financial means of marginalized localities. Municipalities, which have powers but currently lack sufficient resources, could thus better exercise their competences and contribute to regional development.

The decentralization project also provides for the creation of a Ministry of Decentralization, responsible for coordinating local policies and ensuring the coherence of actions throughout the territory. According to Ms. Assaf, this institution would be essential for framing the functioning of councils and guaranteeing a balance between local autonomy and national cohesion.

Transversality and control

The reform planned by Taëf also emphasizes the strengthening of control and transparency. A committee continuously monitors the board of directors, ensuring the conformity of its actions with current rules and the proper use of funds. This control structure aims to reassure both citizens and international donors, who demand guarantees on the management and distribution of resources. Also, the Council is required to publish a periodic newsletter and create a website on which general decisions and audit reports of justice accounts will be obligatorily published.

Ms. Assaf recalls that these measures not only professionalize local administration but also prepare the ground for a sustainable culture of accountability at the national level. “Technical decentralization can serve as a model for spreading transparency and accountability throughout the country, even in the absence of a more comprehensive political reform,” she specifies.

Practical impacts for citizens

For residents, decentralization means increased proximity to decision-making centers. Taxpayers would be more informed about the real needs of their respective cazas and how their resources are used. According to Ms. Assaf, “by bringing governance closer to citizens, they can demand more accountability, which will encourage local councils to work to effectively meet the expectations of the population.”

For her, decentralization is the adequate answer to those who do not think that a solution can be found to overcome many problems related to the management of public affairs. “It is the only mechanism that allows governance to be brought closer to the population and to ensure that resources and powers are used effectively at the local level.” This approach allows residents to concretely see the results of their elected officials' work, demand accountability, and get more involved in the management of their caza.

Primarily developmental in nature, administrative decentralization could help reduce local political tensions and disputes. Its main assets, however, remain coordination between municipalities and caza councils, as well as the creation of employment opportunities and regional development, limiting rural exodus and the excessive concentration of activities in Beirut or a few urban centers.

Chronology and blockages

She notes that the delay in implementing this reform mainly results from a lack of political consensus, with established forces reluctant to lose certain prerogatives and powers to local authorities.

She dismisses fears that administrative decentralization risks fragmenting Lebanon. On the contrary, she says it will strengthen the development of the cazas, especially since they are multi-confessional.

Ms. Assaf sounds the alarm: “Today, the Lebanese state has very limited financial means. Decentralization appears as a pragmatic way to mobilize resources, strengthen governance, and improve accountability.”