Mina Observatory - Editorial Board
With the escalation of Lebanese crises in various aspects of life, there is much talk about the phenomenon of corruption in the Lebanese Customs Corporation, especially after the issuance of a decision to arrest its Director General, Badri Daher, for the crime of public money a few days ago.
In the same context, sources of the MENA Observatory confirm that the Customs Directorate is considered one of the main nerves of corruption in Lebanon, especially in terms of smuggling and the entry of shipments unfit for use or consumption, as well as manipulation of customs income, pointing to the amount of bribes in one of the Customs evasion cases amounted to $200,000.
Wasted sums and the pockets of citizens are the first to be affected
The process of fighting corruption and reform in Lebanon, as the sources see it, must start from the customs institutions and their leadership, given the high volume of money wasted due to corruption, especially with regard to customs evasion and the entry of contraband materials through land and sea ports, which are often corrupt. or destined to be destroyed.
Private sources estimate the volume of annual corruption in Lebanon as a result of corruption in the customs institution, at more than one billion and 300 million dollars annually, about 800 million dollars of which takes place in the port of Beirut, pointing out that these amounts do not include financial losses resulting from the smuggling of money and foreign exchange. out of the country, which she said is difficult to estimate or calculate.
The Lebanese Minister of Finance, “Hassan Khalil,” has previously acknowledged that the level of corruption in the Lebanese Customs Corporation has risen to very large limits, indicating that the volume of corruption has reached $700 million annually.
Compound multilateral corruption
Commenting on previous corruption statistics, the customs expert, Pierre Abi Assi, explains that what is happening in Lebanon customs is a complex corruption with multiple parties and results, adding: “The issue is not only related to the state losing huge funds sufficient to solve many problems. crises, but also in the damage to Lebanese merchants and citizens as a result of smuggling and counter-smuggling operations, a large number of which takes place through the official ports and crossings and with the cover of the corrupt.”
Abu Assi also explains that smuggling a lot of basic commodities and medicines outside the country was a major factor in their loss and high prices in the local market, specifically medicines, pointing out that the issue of corruption in customs is not only related to the waste of public money, but also to the manipulation of lives Citizen and economic security.
It is noteworthy that the General Directorate of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces announced, yesterday evening, Saturday, that its members thwarted an operation to smuggle subsidized medicines to Egypt, which is the second case of its kind in just one month, while the pharmaceutical sector suffers from a very severe shortage of many Treatments, especially diabetes and cancer drugs.
The escalation of corruption rates and its inclusiveness within the institution prompts “Abi Asi” to consider that the Customs Directorate and everyone connected with it have virtually disbelieved in everything in Lebanon, pointing out that whoever commits these corruption operations in light of the current circumstances and what the Lebanese suffer from, he He cannot believe in anything, neither religion nor humanity nor homeland nor morals, and he only believes in personal interest and money, he said.
Suspicious exemptions
Talking about customs corruption leads, according to the customs broker, “Raad,” who chose a pseudonym for security and professional reasons, to address the exemption system, which he said has turned into a means of evading customs taxes and is one of the most prominent forms of corruption approved by the Customs Directorate. Pointing out that one of the influential people in the Lebanese state imported a luxury car and registered it as belonging to a child with special needs, which enabled him to evade paying its tax estimated at tens of thousands of dollars, which in turn was lost to the treasury.
Raad also confirms to MENA Observatory that large shipments of imports and various commodities are tampered with, to be registered as belonging to people with special needs, so that they are exempted from taxes and fees, stressing that these imports belong to influential companies and political figures.
Lebanon is experiencing a series of living and economic crises, foremost of which is the rise in poverty rates to 55 percent, including 25 percent of those living in extreme poverty, in addition to the crises of losing many basic items such as bread, fuel and medicines.
In addition, “Raad” indicates that customs, and specifically the port, has become a place for making wealth in the most stealthy and least expensive way, at the expense of the pockets, lives and strength of Lebanese citizens, stressing that the network of corruption within the customs institution cannot be dismantled unless the system is dismantled. The entire political system, removing the hands of the influential and politicians from the customs department, and that the extent of corruption in customs is capable of paying Lebanon's indebtedness.
It is noteworthy that the volume of Lebanon's external public debt amounted to $91 billion at the end of 2019, according to the data of the Association of Lebanese Banks report.
Corrupt with red lines drawn by the profiteers
The arrest of the Director General of Lebanese Customs, in which “Abi Assi” believes that it is just a useless step, given that the system of corruption within the Lebanese Customs Corporation is intertwined and linked to a political system and political forces, more than being linked to the corruption of a manager or official, stressing that Some political parties in Lebanon are among the beneficiaries of the current state of corruption, not only on the personal financial level, but also on the partisan level.
For their part, the sources of the MENA Observatory called the case of corruption in the Lebanese customs the term “politicization of corruption,” explaining: “Let us say it directly and without equivocation, the corrupt in the Lebanese customs are red lines, and none of them can be attacked because of the great support they receive.” From Hezbollah, there is no oversight or government agency capable of inspecting or investigating any of them without the prior approval of Hezbollah, which is considered the actual body that manages the customs file.
In addition, the sources confirm that Hezbollah, according to the current situation, is considered the largest beneficiary from the state of corruption, primarily because it enables it to enter, remove and store explosive and dangerous materials and weapons; Completely freely and without any obstacles, in addition to carrying out smuggling operations of money, drugs and contraband, especially through the port, stressing that all political parties have their agents in the port specifically, and that they all work under the shadow of Hezbollah’s agents, which is what prompted the party to hold on and fight in order to preserve the bag. Finance in the new government, according to the sources.
It is noteworthy that the Shiite duo, Amal - Hezbollah, thwarted the formation of the government of the former Prime Minister-designate, "Mustafa Adeeb", because of their insistence on keeping the financial portfolio, stressing that they would not give it up even if Lebanon stopped for a hundred continuous years.
The sources also indicated that Hezbollah would not have entered its highly dangerous explosive materials into the port, and stored them for many years in one of the most densely populated regions of Lebanon, had it not been for the current state of corruption, reiterating that fighting corruption in customs is capable of securing Sufficient funds to bridge many crises in Lebanon.
The director of the regional project to combat corruption and promote integrity for the United Nations Development Program in the Arab countries, Arkan Al-Sablani, confirmed that the volume of corruption in the Lebanese Customs Directorate has reached one billion dollars, according to 2019 statistics, pointing out that the total volume of corruption in Lebanon It reached $5 billion annually, equivalent to 9 percent of the annual gross product.
The Shiite duo, the Lebanese customs, the Amal Movement, Hezbollah, Lebanon