http://www.dailystar.com.lb/business/22_10_99_b.htm

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Business

All clear on Y2K bug - just dont travel

Osama Habib Daily Star staff

A government task force sent out assurances on Thursday that all banks, financial institutions, public services, and the airport were fully equipped to fight the Y2K bug.

I can confidently say that the country has passed the danger point because most institutions have upgraded their systems in anticipation of the millennium bug, said Samuellian Haroutuan, the third vice governor of the Central Bank. Banks have tested their systems and arranged for contingency plans, while similar measures have been adopted by Electricite du Liban, the Civil Aviation Department and telecommunications. Banks have spent about $50 million to combat Y2K, while public agencies have spent $15 million. Both the private and public sectors are aware of the seriousness of the problem, Haroutuan said. The World Bank has expressed its satisfaction with measures adopted by banks and other firms in Lebanon. The Central Bank has asked banks and financial companies to cancel the vacations of their IT technicians over the New Years holiday to ensure that computer systems operate normally. There is a 3-5 percent probability of a breakdown in computer systems, said Haroutuan. But this ratio is normal. All banks have prepared back-up files in case of a failure. Ali Nahle, a member of the National Emergency Committee, said he was not overly concerned about an impending disaster. But he did stress that if the Y2K problem were not tackled properly it could spell disaster, especially for civil aviation. A failure in computer systems could affect signals sent from control towers to planes, he explained. The government formed a committee at Beirut International airport to conduct tests at the end of the month. The airports control tower will begin sending signals to planes using computers that are being programmed as if it were already 2000. Planes may crash or land on the wrong runway if the wrong messages are sent, Nahle explained. As a precautionary measure, Nahle advised people not to travel on the first day of the New Year. I may stay home on Dec. 31, he said, until everything becomes more clear.

DS: 22/10/99

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), October 22, 1999

Answers

OK, that settles it. I'm calling right now to cancel that trip to Beirut I had planned for 01012000.

-Greybear

-- Anyone want to but some cheap tickets?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), October 22, 1999.

So the banks say they're fixed and ready, but that the planes could crash. The people in charge of aviation say they're fixed and planes will not crash...what do these guys say about the banks?

No wonder I'm flaky.

-- (flakygirl@home.now), October 22, 1999.