The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) indicated that it will work this year on the automation of the Intellectual Property Rights Department (IPRD) at the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET), as well as on the automation of the Industrial Permits and Certificates at the Ministry of Industry. It stated that it is supporting the two ministries in automating key processes that would streamline the business environment for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), reduce administrative burdens, improve efficiency, and facilitate a smoother operational process. It added that the project will support SMEs in accessing markets and expanding their trade opportunities.  The UNDP said that it will support the MoET in automating the operations of the IPRD in order to enhance service efficiency and accessibility for businesses and entrepreneurs by optimizing the control and monitoring of processes at the IPRD; improving information flow between the ministry's various directorates and external stakeholders; simplifying procedures; providing easy access to timely e-services for businesses; identifying and resolving inefficiencies in current processes; and expanding outreach and accessibility to the IPRD services across Lebanon, while reducing the need to commute to central offices for transaction processing.  In addition, the UNDP pointed out that the project aims to address key challenges faced by businesses in obtaining their industrial permits through the automation of processes at the Ministry of Industry. It noted that it will increase operational efficiency by automating administrative and regulatory processes; enhancing process control and monitoring within key departments, as well as ensuring better oversight and decision-making in key operational procedures; improving information flow between the ministry and external stakeholders; simplifying bureaucratic procedures to facilitate easier access to industrial permits, certifications, and approvals; providing digital access to key services for businesses that reduce the need for physical visits and paperwork; identifying and resolving inefficiencies in existing workflows; and expanding the outreach and accessibility of the ministry's services to industrial enterprises across Lebanon.  Further, it noted that the digital platforms at the two ministries will provide public information about various processes, allow users to create an account and log in to access multiple services, offer a request tracking system to monitor the status of applications, and enable the submission of applications online with follow-up options via the portal, email and SMS alerts. It added that the system will include role-based access controls to ensure appropriate permissions and feature an internal portal that centralizes requests and workflows, which will enable employees and other internal users to manage processes more efficiently.  In parallel, the UNDP indicated that the Lebanese government approved on May 12, 2022 the Digital Transformation Strategy to enhance  the accountability and transparency, as well as improve delivery of services across public administration and in key sectors of the economy. Also, the UNDP and the MoET launched a pilot project to digitize the ministry in July 2022, prioritizing the automation of the Consumer Protection Directorate, one of the largest directorates at the ministry in terms of human resources and operational responsibilities. It added that it proceeded with further automation efforts at the ministry in 2024 by finalizing the implementation of the Fairs and Expo Directorate of the ministry due to its importance in facilitating for small businesses the ability to submit their paperwork to organize trade fairs. It pointed out that the automation of administrative transactions and processes is critical to push forward the digitization agenda of the government, which should pave the way for broader digitization efforts across other government functions. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Byblos Bank, May 5 - 10, 2025