Syrian business owners in Lebanon: Challenges and regulation

There are no longer any Syrian-owned businesses except for the licensed ones. The municipality of Bourj Hammoud preempted the government's plan regarding refugees and began, four months ago, inspecting real estate units.

The fine for each unregistered industrial unit is 300 million Lebanese pounds; for commercial units, the penalty can go up to 200 million Lebanese pounds. It's true that "everyone earns their livelihood," but within the bounds of the law.

This issue may have followed the regulatory paths in municipalities near the capital, but the situation is more challenging in remote areas. Syrians in Bar Elias, for example, refuse to speak on camera despite estimates suggesting that out of 1,100 commercial establishments and institutions in the area, 500 are owned by Syrians.

However, in the absence of precise numbers on the count of commercial establishments owned by Syrians, the Ministries of Finance and Economy, as well as municipalities, are conducting surveys to determine the figures.

The aim is to strictly tighten the violations related to shops operating within the municipal jurisdiction by Syrians without the necessary permits and to close them and refer the violators to the judiciary immediately.

Furthermore, once the survey is concluded, the responsibility shifts to the judiciary and the security forces, who act as legal enforcement officers.

Thus, based on the principle of "every citizen is responsible," the greatest responsibility lies with the Lebanese who benefit from the work of unlicensed refugees.