The Group of Economic Associations in Lebanon, which includes all the chambers of commerce, industry and agriculture in the country, as well as the Association of Banks in Lebanon, the Association of Lebanese industrialists, the Beirut Traders Association, the Association of Insurance Companies in Lebanon, and most of the other business and trade associations in the country, indicated that the government's financial recovery plan contains ''unconstitutional'' and ''dangerous'' measures that will adversely impact the economy and put additional strains on the private sector. It added that the government did not consult with any members of the Group of Economic Associations when drafting its plan, although members of the group represent major economic sectors and stakeholders in Lebanon. As such, it called on Parliament to refrain from endorsing the plan, which it considered to be ''destructive'' to the economy. 

The group indicated that the plan takes advantage of the current financial collapse and social turmoil to impose measures that aim to overturn Lebanon's liberal economic system and permanently change its economic identity. It added that the political system failed rather than the economic system, while it acknowledged the need to strengthen the private sector. Further, it pointed out that the plan intentionally acquits the political class and the public sector, while it unjustly blames the private sector for the current crisis. It considered that the private sector, including Lebanese expatriates, is being penalized through higher arbitrary taxes, while the public sector is almost completely spared.  

Further, it noted that the plan bypasses well-established constitutional principles, such as personal rights and private property, as well as violates the legal structure and harms the pillars of a liberal economy. It added that the program creates a climate of anxiety and legal uncertainties for businesses and investments. It also pointed out that the plan lacks credible measures that can successfully stimulate the economy, create a conducive business environment, achieve judicial independence, attract investors, reduce unemployment and create jobs. In addition, it said that the plan overlooks the much-needed structural reforms and, instead, repeats the same pledges and promises that successive governments made since the Paris I donor conference in 2001. It noted that the private sector, particularly the banking sector, has been responsive to the government's reform promises, but it considered that these pledges are no longer convincing. 

In addition, the group indicated that the plan presents clear steps to seize the funds of shareholders and depositors directly or through the creation of state-controlled funds. It considered that the plan repeats the previous ''deadly'' mistakes of entrusting the government once again to manage the country's resources through the funds that will be established, which will result in additional wasteful spending. It added that the alleged financial losses have been determined without any legal or accounting definitions, and even before the start of negotiations with creditors on the restructuring of the sovereign Eurobonds. It indicated that the government is implementing a rigid analytical approach to address the financing gap that seems like a liquidation of the economy, while authorities need to adopt a dynamic method based on a gradual exit from the crisis. 

In parallel, the group welcomed the government’s decision to engage with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over a funded program, as it considered that this a ''step in the right direction'' that could help inject the needed liquidity in the economy. Finally, it hoped that the government will take the aforementioned comments into consideration, especially during the negotiations with the IMF, so that Lebanon does not miss its last opportunity for fiscal reforms and economic revival. 

In its annual 'Special 301' review of the state of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and enforcement in U.S. trading partners around the world, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) kept Lebanon, along with 22 other countries and jurisdictions, on the Watch List for the ineffective and inadequate protection of intellectual property rights and for severe copyright violations. The USTR placed Lebanon on the Watch List in 1999 and then downgraded it to the more critical Priority Watch List in 2001, where it remained until 2007. It then upgraded Lebanon to the Watch List in 2008, where it has remained since then. Lebanon, along with Egypt, Kuwait, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are the only countries from the Middle East & Africa region that are on the 2020 Watch List. Also, the USTR included 10 countries this year on its Priority Watch List, with Algeria and Saudi Arabia representing the Middle East & Africa on the list.
 
The USTR called on Lebanese authorities to ratify and implement several IPR treaties, including Articles 1 to 12 of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks, as well as the latest acts of the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks. In addition, it encouraged authorities to implement and ratify the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty, as well as to join the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks, as well as the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

The annual survey by Al-Bayan magazine of the insurance sector in Lebanon indicates that overall life and non-life premiums reached $1.63bn in 2019, constituting a decrease of 5% from $1.71bn in the previous year, compared to a growth rate of 3.6% in 2018. Life premiums accounted for 30.2% of aggregate premiums in 2019 relative to 31.7% in 2018, while non-life premiums represented 69.8% of the total last year compared to 68.3% in 2018. In real terms, aggregate life and non-life premiums declined by 7.6% in 2019 and by 2.3% in 2018.
 
Byblos Bank's insurance affiliate ADIR generated $70.8m in premiums in 2019, and ranked in 12th place in terms of life and non-life premiums in 2010. The composition of the top 10 insurers was unchanged from 2018. The rank of Bankers Assurance improved by one spot to second place and Fidelity Assurance & Reinsurance moved up by two spots in the rankings to fourth place, while the ranking of MetLife ALICO regressed by one spot to third place and the position of LIA Insurance declined by two spots to sixth place. The ranks of the remaining six insurers were unchanged year-on-year.

The top five insurers in Lebanon accounted for 36.9% of the combined life and non-life markets in 2019 compared to 36.2% in 2018, while the top 10 firms generated 62.3% of overall premiums in 2019 relative to 62.8% in the previous year. In addition, the top 20 firms represented 86.3% of total life and non-life premiums in 2019 compared to 85.5% in 2018.

Further, the insurance penetration rate in Lebanon, or premiums relative to the size of the economy, stood at 2.9% of GDP in 2019 relative to 3.1% of GDP in 2018. Also, Lebanon's insurance density, or premiums per capita, reached $336 in 2019 compared to $353 in 2018.