When asked why did he not act upon information he had received about the ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut’s port that later blew up much of the city centre, the Lebanese President Michel Aoun answered that “the port lies outside [his] jurisdiction”. That answer echoes a sentiment prevalent among most present and former holders of public office in Lebanon. Whenever pushed into a corner by questions about their ineptitude, Lebanese officials answer: "Ma khallouna (they wouldn’t let us)” has been repeated so much that it has invited a great deal of sarcasm and cynicism among Lebanese. It is a common joke to refer to the entire political class as the “Ma Khallouna” party, and politicians have only themselves to blame.
In 1959, Lebanon created a Civil Service Council tasked with professionalising public administration and neutralising it from political bickering. The problem began in 1989, when Lebanon's political leaders met in the Saudi Arabian city of Taif to form a new national pact that would put an end to the 15-year civil war. The resulting Taif Agreement stipulated, among other things, the elimination of sectarianism from politics and public sector jobs, though for an interim period this would exclude "the top-level jobs and equivalent jobs which shall be shared equally by Christians and Muslims without allocating any particular job to any sect".
What was supposed to be a short-term exemption in a phased plan of eliminating sectarian politics became instead an entrenched political tradition. To this day, Lebanon’s top jobs are allocated with sectarian power-sharing in mind (and, in violation of the spirit of the Taif Agreement, particular jobs are allocated to specific sects).
As a consequence, civil service appointments have also become political appointments that bypass the Civil Service Council. This process accelerated further over the past 15 years, as competing political forces fought over civil service appointments across the state apparatus – including the Port of Beirut. The politicisation process manifests itself not only in recruitment but also in management procedures such as dismissal, promotion and transfer to another positions.
The Lebanese civil service has by now become a complex web of what political scientists call “principal-agent” relationships.
What does that mean? A “principal-agent” relationship is one in which someone (the principal) engages another person (the agent) to carry out a task on their behalf and, in doing so, delegates a certain amount of decision-making authority to the agent. In democratic systems like that of Lebanon, this relationship exists between citizens and politicians on the one hand, and politicians and civil servants on the other. Citizens entrust politicians to deliver certain goods and services, and politicians entrust civil servants to help them deliver these goods and services.
The principal-agent relationship, however, can give rise to something political scientists call the “principal-agent problem”. It may seem fairly obvious, especially in corrupt countries: agents have their own interests, and can be selfish. The deep and extensive politicisation of the civil service in Lebanon has created an excessive form of this problem whereby multiple principals and multiple agents compete against one another, at the expense of public good.
Two days after the blast at the port, the French President Emmanuel Macron made a hasty visit to Beirut to call for a new political order for the country. The IMF, the EU, the US and other donor countries and institutions have made economic reforms a condition for the provision of financial assistance to Lebanon. But neither economic nor political reforms will be effective if the principal-agent problem of Lebanon's public administration is not addressed. What the Republic of Lebanon urgently needs is what the 19th-century German sociologist and philosopher Max Weber called "neutral competence" – professional civil servants who are responsive to the public and not to politicians.
That means that the starting point for Lebanese recovery has to be the implementation what was actually agreed in the Taif Agreement more than 30 years ago, by making all appointments to the civil service apolitical and subject to administrative procedures and technical skills only. Public services in many countries today are assessed through numerous performance indicators, which make it possible to hold civil servants accountable and ensure they are directly responsive to public feedback.
Luckily, there are some good experiences from which Lebanon can learn. In Dubai, public sector institutions are evaluated directly by the public through an annual Dubai Customer Happiness Index. Elsewhere in the UAE, government agencies and departments are assessed and evaluated through professional administrative procedures, following the so-called Government Excellence Model; excellence awards and prizes are handed out annually to top performers. Political intervention becomes necessary only to ensure public service responsiveness to public expectations.
What was supposed to be a short-term exemption in a phased plan of eliminating sectarian politics became instead an entrenched political tradition
Recruitment of top civil servant jobs in Lebanon need to change immediately to become independent of political manipulation. In France, the top 800 positions in public administration are pulled from professional bodies and elite training schools, especially from the National School of Administration. In the UK, recruitment is organised autonomously by each authority in a decentralised procedure according to merit. Even where they are political appointments, as is the case in the US, checks and balances are put in place, such the requirement for approval of all presidential appointments from Congress.
In countries with weak governance systems like Lebanon, the politicisation of civil service recruitment and management has brought with it nepotism, corruption, incompetence and indifference. Add to that the principal-agent problem that exists between some members of the political class and foreign governments and the conditions that led to the horrific explosion at Beirut's port became self-evident.
Sami Mahroum is a senior fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and a professor at the Free University of Brussels
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
Naga
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PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Fifa Club World Cup quarter-final
Kashima Antlers 3 (Nagaki 49’, Serginho 69’, Abe 84’)
Guadalajara 2 (Zaldivar 03’, Pulido 90')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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