UNIDO provides some 25 million Euros to boost the productivity of small enterprises and integrate them in international markets || Newspapers (Arabic)

The Minister of Industry, Freij Sabounjian, and the regional representative of UNIDO, Khaled Makdoum, signed yesterday a special agreement related to the national cooperation programme between UNIDO and Lebanon for the year 2014.  The signing took place during an event attended by ambassadors and heads of diplomatic delegations, in addition to ministers and representatives of selected public administrations and presidents of industrial and regional coalitions.
Sabounjian noted in his keynote address that the 2014 programme was developed in collaboration with his Ministry and other Lebanese partners and takes into consideration the priorities, needs and requirements of the industrial sector in Lebanon.  The Minister further highlighted that the programme is designed within the framework of a comprehensive strategy for building local capacities, transfer of knowledge and rational application of guidelines and technical and administrative tools and methodologies in order to boost the competitiveness of the industrial sector.
The UNIDO representative outlined the four axis of the programme namely: a) management of the industrial sector and building institutions; b) improving performance; c) building commercial capacities; and d) managing energy and the environment.  He also pointed out to the financial contributions form Austria, Italy and Switzerland which along that from Lebanon helped to secure some 50% of the $9.5 million initially budgeted for the project. Finally, he shed the light on a new and significant component of the programme namely the creation of a new fund of 21 million Euros to be used as soft loans for small and medium enterprises in order to encourage creativity, green industry and industrial development.
In closing the event, the organizers shared a number of example of successful projects supported by UNIDO namely Liban Pack which was presented by the Chair of the Board of the company, Fady Gemayel, and Community Empowerment and Livelihoods Enhancement Project CELEP, local development project which aims at improving livelihoods in rural areas.

Source: Al-Mustaqbal, Al-Nahar, Al-Diyar 20 February 2013