BEIRUT: Lebanon is the third-biggest recipient of technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund in the Middle East, accounting for 12 percent of such allocations in 2011, the IMF has said.

The International Monetary Fund’s Middle East Technical Assistance Center said that during fiscal year 2011 that ended in June 2011, Lebanon’s assistance ranked behind Syria and Yemen, and came ahead of Sudan, the West Bank & Gaza, Libya, Jordan, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iraq.

Lebanon received 32 person weeks (PWs), or 160 days worth of assistance in 2011, down from 51.5 person weeks in 2010 and compared to 30.8 person weeks in 2009, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group. It received 11 PWs, or 55 days in revenue administration support, accounting for 34.4 percent of the total assistance it received and for 15.2 percent of the region’s total for this category.

METAC assisted Lebanon with plans to reorganize the tax administration structure and integrate Value Added Tax and income tax departments. Support in FY2012 will include further help in establishing an integrated tax administration, strengthening compliance management and risk-based audit and supporting customs operations.

Lebanon received 9.5 PWs, or 47.5 days in public financial management assistance, accounting for 29.7 percent of assistance it received and for 14.7 percent of such assistance in the region.

The support covered setting up budget ceilings and multi-year budgeting, and reviewing the progress made with cash management as a direct result of the technical assistance delivered in previous years. Support in FY2012 will cover further development of the cash management unit and extending the Treasury Single Account coverage.