President Aoun stresses support of national industry

President Michel Aoun stressed the need to support industrial production as a way to boost the Lebanese currency, which, he maintained, cannot be sustained by increasing public debt. Aoun, who was speaking to a delegation of the Lebanese Industrialists’ Association led by Fadi Gemayel, expressed the all-out preparedness and cooperation between the industry ministry and the Association to implement the recovery plan set for the industry sector. For his part, Gemayel disclosed that the sector which embraces some 130 thousand workers, has succeeded in multiplying industrial exports in the period between 2000 and 2013 which reached as far as Europe and the US. Gemayel said troubles in the industrial sector started back in 2013 with the outbreak of the war in Syria which afflicted massive losses (nearly USD one billion on the industrial exports).  Gemayel outlined the comprehensive socio-economic vision presented by his Association to activate and revive all aspects involving the Lebanese economy. He called for setting up a socio-economic emergency response committee, expanding the concept of economic diplomacy via the Lebanese Diaspora and supporting the operating capital bound for exports. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, December 31, 2016)

 

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