Beirut: President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, on Tuesday delivered a keynote speech at the ‘Smart Government: Diaspora Expertise for Lebanon’ conference, organized by the Lebanese Executives Council at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut.

According to National News Agency – Lebanon, President Aoun invoked a famous quote by the late Prime Minister Salim Hoss – ‘In Lebanon, even numbers are a matter of opinion’ – to underscore the urgency of institutionalizing digital governance in Lebanon. He emphasized the need for Lebanon to embrace modernization and stop lagging behind while its expertise is shared globally.

President Aoun declared that the decision to transition to digital governance has been made, highlighting that it is no longer acceptable for Lebanon to remain outside the era of modernization. He underscored the importance of moving from treating numbers as opinion to adopting digitization as a vision.

He stressed that smart government is a necessity, not a luxury. It is essential for delivering efficient, transparent, and inclusive services to all citizens without favoritism. He pointed out that ongoing corruption and patronage networks have been obstructing digital transformation efforts, keeping citizens trapped in administrative dysfunction.

The President concluded his speech by expressing gratitude to the Lebanese Executives Council and the Digital Cooperation Organization. He also announced Lebanon’s intention to formally join the Digital Cooperation Organization. He emphasized the need to correct the current situation, stating that Lebanon should aim to transform from having many numbers with little digitization to becoming a strong digital presence.