InfoPro was commissioned the study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The aim of the study was to assist the IFC in surveying a representative sample of companies in the areas of Beirut and Mount Lebanon in order to support the government of Lebanon in its efforts to simplify the country’s business start-up regulations by improving and streamlining the registration procedures. Interviews were conducted with lawyers and business owners who had registered their own companies. This assisted in determining the obstacles faced by the private sector in start-up business registration and daily procedures, assisted in gauging overall satisfaction with government processes, and helped the IFC pinpoint areas that required reform to be implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Trade (MoET). In 2013, InfoPro was commissioned the extension project aimed at streamlining, simplifying and automating the business registration process through the Commercial Registry (CR). The overall stated objectives of the study was to assess and evaluate the processes in place and arrive at workable recommendations that would ultimately modernize, upgrade and introduce best practices. InfoPro’s tasks included carrying-out a site assessment of all Commercial Registries across the six Mouhfazas. InfoPro also assessed the current set-up of the Commercial Registries by interviewing the general director, Head Judge of the Commercial Registry, and the chief clerk across the various Mohafaza’s, in addition to more than 20 lawyers in order to map the registration process and recommend a more streamlined process.
