The chair of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) Nabil Itani disclosed to Al Mustaqbal a plan to promote ‘Invest in Regions’ program aimed at invigorating areas outside the capital and transforming them into productive communities. This, Itani said, is done through inspiring entrepreneurship and innovation in those regions, revealing that he will present the plan next week to deputy prime minister, Ghassan Hasbani. The work of the program, according to Itani, is based on the use and amassing of resources at hand in into one service (One Cluster One Zone) with the aim to facilitate access of international importers to made-in-Lebanon goods with specific standards. IDAL chief made clear that the program will be launched in cooperation with the civil society and the federations of municipalities, pointing out that funding will be secured from the local community and the Lebanese Diaspora. In Parallel, Itani noted, business incubators will be set up to explain how to prepare the product and methods of marketing in line with market demands and standard specifications. The significance of the program, Itani concluded, is that it encourages investment in productive industries, on the one hand, and eases the marketing of Lebanese goods, on the other. (Al Mustaqbal, August 25, 2017)