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Lebanon has a long tradition of domestic free trade and investment policies, with free market pricing for most goods and services, an unrestricted exchange and trade system and extensive links with the developed world in practically all economic activities. The Government has maintained a generally non-interventionist stance
toward private investment, and public ownership has generally been limited to infrastructure and utilities. There are no restrictions on the movement of capital and goods by residents and non-residents of the Republic, including on entry or exit of firms or on access to foreign exchange, which makes Lebanon a supportive system
for private sector development.
GDP registered high growth rates for the period from 1993 to 1995, averaging an estimated real growth rate of 7.2 percent per annum. Real GDP grew at slower estimated rates of 4.0 percent in 1996 and 1997, 3.6 percent in 1998, (0.5) percent in 1999 and 1.3 percent in 2000. Real GDP growth was 4.0 percent in 2001, 3.4 percent in 2002, and 3.2 percent in 2003. In 2004, real GDP growth increased to 7.5 percent, while declining to 1.2 percent in 2005. In 2006, real GDP growth was 1.4 percent,
increasing to 8.4 percent in 2007, 8.6 percent in 2008, 9.0 percent in 2009 and 7.0 percent in 2010.
As of December 31, 2011, the Republic’s gross public debt was LL 80,869 billion (U.S.$53.6 billion) consisting of LL 49,340 billion of gross domestic debt and LL 31,529 billion of public external debt. Net outstanding public debt of the Republic was LL 69,885 billion (U.S.$46.4 billion) as of December 31, 2011.
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