You are here
Minister of Industry criticizes the absence of long term government planning
24-10-2017
As part of an EU-funded program, the Social and Economic Council hosted yesterday a dialogue session headed by industry minister Hussein Haj Hassan entitled, ‘supporting the industry and promoting exports’. Haj Hassan recalled an incident last week when an ambassador asked him if Lebanon has a specific industrial development policy, and to which he replied, “the minister has gotten a plan but not the government”. “The solution to our continuous economic crises lies in the adoption of a 10-year economic scheme or vision with clear objectives and programs,” Haj Hassan maintained. He considered the high cost of production to be the main hitch slowing down domestic industry, and requested the following on part of the government: leasing state and municipality-owned lands to industrialists at competitive rent prices; compensating the cost of electricity, and dispensing salaries for Lebanese workers. The minister made clear that export is the key to resolving the national economy crisis, pointing to difficulties in the entry of made-in-Lebanon goods to world markets while Lebanon is open to the global production. He said “a country that can survive with a massive deficit in trade balance is non-existent.” For his part, the Social and Economic Council president, Roger Nasnas, underlined the role of the industry as a pivot for the resurgence of Lebanon. He gave some suggestions to address the situation, including: Expansion of the protection of national industry; adjustment of the debilitated public institutions; restoration of a modern reform system of the public sector; commitment to complete and strict observance of relevant laws; reduction of public indebtedness; revision and reformation of the file of the refugees and foreign laborers, and finally, regulation of the vocational and higher education programs in light of the labor market requirements. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, October 24, 2017)
- 5 reads
- العربية
Categories
Events
No upcoming events
Job vacancies
Friday, October 9, 2015
Collective for Research and Training on Development - Action (CRTD.A)