Second phase of export sea bridge kicked off

The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) announced yesterday the renewal of the sea bridge export program after a meeting at the Grand Serail under PM Saad Hariri aegis and with the presence of the ministers of economy, industry and agriculture. To note, the Cabinet decided on May 17 to continue its support to above program implemented by IDAL through allocating a sum of LBP 21 billion (USD 14 million). Hariri revealed during the meeting that there are additional steps that need to be taken to subsidize and facilitate the export of made-in-Lebanon products, pointing out that the government has approved the required sums to this end. What is important, Hariri stated, is domestic production and the creation of jobs for the Lebanese people through substantial investment. “You have to put forward your demands and needs in order to expedite solutions to them with the government’s assistance,” Hariri maintained, adding, “we need help and backing to reach the desired outcomes sought by the private sector, and we want to see a successful and flourishing production of this sector.” For his part, industry minister Hussein Haj Hassan, said that the industry sector did not benefit properly from the maritime export bridge, suggesting the creation of new outlets to market Lebanese goods, namely in Russia and Africa. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, June 16, 2017 )

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