MOET

The newly appointed Minister of Economy and Trade Mansour Bteish declared that his ambition and goal consist in “building up a productive and humanized economy” calling on all political forces to cooperate in order to overcome this difficult phase and achieve balance in public finance, thus ensuring sustainable growth.

Minister of Economy and Trade Mansour Bteish made this statement during the handover ceremony with Former Minister Raed Khoury in the presence of the Director General Alia Abbas, Director General of Grains and Sugar Beets Hanna El Amil and senior Ministry officers.

At first, both Ministers Bteish and Khoury held a private meeting then former Minister Raed Khoury thanked the media for following up on him within the past two years, playing a vital role in shedding the light over the Ministry's activities and achievements to address the pending issues.

In addition, Former Minister Khoury went on to thank the Ministry’s directors and officers for their efforts exerted in this regard stating that: “we are handing today this Ministry to the newly appointed Minister Mansour Bteish. It is worth noting that he is a colleague in the banking sector and we both represent a political party showing coherent political and economic ideas. We had previously worked together on different dossiers whether related to the Free Patriotic Movement or other issues and the experience was excellent. We kept, as apolitical party, this Ministry and I am also delighted because the newly appointed Minister will resume what we had started and he will surely preserve it and accomplish more achievements”.  

Furthermore, Former Minister Khoury said: “It is no secret that the Ministry of Economy was historically considered as a secondary ministry and we transformed it during the past two years into a primary one because we set an economic plan for Lebanon, which is its role that it did not play for many historical reasons. Today, the Ministry of Economy and Trade proves itself as the Ministry of the strategic planning for the government hoping that this latter will carry on what we had already started working on”.

Minister Khoury added: “The Ministry of Economy and Trade proved that it hat been supporting Lebanese citizens and consumers who have been suffering from several issues related to prices, quality and generators. We were able to lay down this Ministry as being the Ministry of people, their interest and the consumer interest. We made all these achievements thanks to the efforts of all the persons present with us today as well as all the Ministry’s employees, enabling it to play its role that lost it long time ago. Several obstacles keeps us away from addressing specific dossiers; to name few, the number of the employees is insufficient compared to the ministry’s role on the ground”.   

To conclude, Minister Khoury said: “I will follow up with His Excellency within our party, with the party’s president and with the President of the Republic on the upcoming economic issues that will constitute a major challenge for us”.   

For his part, Minister Bteish took the floor and thanked Minister Khoury and the staff for their work and efforts exerted at the Ministry during the past two years.

Bteish said "I am fully aware that I am assuming a big responsibility. The Ministry of Economy is in direct contact with the people and is key to social stability, so its interests are complex and interrelated such as the Consumer Protection Directorate and combatting fraud as Minister Khoury did regarding the generators issue which I am keen to carry on in addition to resume and control all the other issues and dossiers related to the protection of the citizen from different classes as well as all services in terms of quality and price".

Moreover, Bteish said: “I would like to thank Minister Khoury for his efforts exerted to promote the production and devise a concept to accelerate economic growth. I am already familiarized with being the President of the Economic Affairs Committee in the Economic and Social Council. It is worth noting that this plan aims to promote the production and I had worked in person on an economic paper with my colleagues in the Free Patriotic Movement. This paper was approved by unanimous consent in the Economic and Social Council that represents all the Lebanese community in all classes and can be implemented in the future. It is to mention that the Ministry of Economy and Trade is directly involved in setting and implementing the plans that determine the State economic and financial policy.”

"It is no secret if I say that our economic and financial situation is dire; however, the rescue possibility is high. Lebanon has a material and human potential that can be built upon for the future, thus it is necessary to draw the right direction through which we are going to run the nation. I think a positive atmosphere is created and that what we have witnessed in the Ministerial Statement Committee " Bteish added.      

At the end, Minister Bteish said: “my ambition and goal consist in “building up a productive and humanized economy”. We seek an economy that is similar to Lebanon's rich and diverse culture. There is no time to talk we have to work hard calling on all political forces to cooperate in order to overcome this difficult phase and get to safety, thus achieving balance in public finance and ensuring sustainable growth”.

Best regards,

حول الكاتب: الوزير

كان لوريم إيبسوم ولايزال المعيار للنص الشكلي منذ القرن الخامس عشر عندما قامت مطبعة مجهولة برص مجموعة من الأحرف بشكل عشوائي أخذتها من نص. لوريم إيبسوم هو ببساطة نص شكلي، بمعنى أن الغاية هي الشكل وليس المحتوى. ويُستخدم في صناعات المطابع ودور النشر. كان لوريم إيبسوم ولايزال المعيار للنص الشكلي منذ القرن الخامس عشر عندما قامت مطبعة مجهولة برص مجموعة من الأحرف بشكل عشوائي أخذتها من نص، لتكوّن كتيّب بمثابة دليل أو مرجع شكلي لهذه الأحرف.