real estate speculation

Law Commentary

Abandoning Public Rights to Protect Speculators:

The 2027 Budget in 10 points

The 2027 public budget draft provides no clear vision for addressing Lebanon’s ongoing crises, particularly displacement, housing, and reconstruction amid the ongoing Israeli aggression, with only limited allocations for relief and emergency response and continued reliance on external financing for reconstruction. At the same time, it continues to reinforce real estate oriented financial policies through measures such as reducing the tax on real estate capital gains and the land betterment tax, while state revenues from violations on public maritime land remain limited.This commentary examines the 2027 public budget plan through ten key points, looking at how spending priorities and tax policies affect the rights to housing, land, return, and reconstruction, and how the costs of these ongoing crises ultimately fall on society.

Policy Watch

Abolishing the Vacancy Exemption in the 2027 Draft Budget:

A First Step Towards Curbing Speculation

The 2027 Draft Budget proposes abolishing the Built Property Tax exemption for vacant apartments, which could help curb vacancy and speculation. However, given Lebanon’s high vacancy rates, a separate progressive vacancy tax is also needed to further discourage prolonged vacancy, increase the availability of housing, and address the ongoing housing crisis and displacement caused by the Israeli war.

From Dossier Research-Based Article

The Beirut Central District Reconstruction Experience (Solidere)

Solidere was established after the end of the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) to undertake the reconstruction of downtown Beirut, which is now known by its name. This company’s experience represents the neoliberal model of reconstruction, a model that has been subject to much criticism and questioning.
This article reviews Solidere’s experience with the aim of recalling it and rethinking the social and cultural repercussions of the neoliberal model it followed.

Law Commentary

 The Reconstruction Draft Law repeats the Mistakes of the past:

Reviving destroyed villages can’t happen only through buildings

After a ceasefire was implemented in Lebanon on November 27, the Lebanese government held a special session on December 7 in the southern city of Tyre and approved a draft law for rebuilding homes destroyed by Israeli attacks, as they were before. Regardless of its immediate issues in terms of content, it appears that the proposed law does not address the previous or emerging challenges we are facing and risks repeating the mistakes of past failed reconstruction experiences.

Dossier

Master-Planning in Lebanon: Manufacturing Landscapes of Inequality

How is urban planning practiced in Lebanon? What is the motive behind issuing master plans? And in what way do these plans violate fundamental rights? We tried during the years 2017 and 2018 …

From Dossier

Editorial

During the past decade, many researchers have studied the relationship between geography and law in an attempt to clarify the links between these two increasingly complex concepts. In reality, comparing law and the …

From Dossier Interview

Interview with Engineer Mohammad Fawwaz

Ex-director of the General Directorate of Urban Planning (1973-1993)

The interview with Engineer Mohammad Fawwaz was conducted by Public Works Studio as part of the project “Planning in Lebanon: Manufacturing Landscapes of Inequality” (2017-2018). It explores the history of urban planning practice …

From Dossier Research-Based Article

How can land and property taxes in Lebanon be fair?

The tax system plays a critical role in the social contract between the state and society, with individuals contributing taxes in exchange for the state’s commitment to societal well-being. However, recent global tax …

Law Commentary

The 2024 budget:

Rewarding property owners and speculators

This article discusses the 2024 budget in Lebanon, emphasizing the lack of substantial changes to rebuild the collapsing economy. The budget focuses on providing legal cover for state expenses without addressing existing policies, …

Law Commentary

From Dalieh in 1995 Until Today: A New Extension of the Hotel Exemption Law

Proposing a law aiming at “Extending the application of Law No. 264 (extending the work of the law related to exempting hotels from some provisions of the Building Law).”

The law proposal was submitted on 20/3/2023, and has not yet been referred to parliamentary committees.

Law Commentary

The “Murr Floor” Project Returns: The Government Provides no Solution to the Housing Crisis and Increases Speculation on Land Prices

A proposal to amend Article 66 of Law No. 144 (Budget Law).

It has been included in the agenda of the Parliament on 07/12/2021.

Research-Based Article

Baalbek: Construction as a Material for Partisan Clientelism

After an introduction to the urban social context of the city, we will focus in this text on construction permits. The latters are read as a tool used to violate social norms in …