In its edition of today, An Nahar newspaper highlighted the Lebanese National Economy Forum launched last week under the title ‘Revitalizing the economy’. The newspaper described the event as being different in terms of the recommendations it issued and which called for the formation of follow-up committees to monitor their implementation. On the subject, An Nahar spoke to economic advisor, Charbel Qurdahi, who stressed that the conference aims to channel energies towards production through application of structural reform that restores economic growth and creates jobs on the medium term. This, Qurdahi explained, is irrespective of the State’s plans to upgrade its finances at the level of macroeconomics which needs years to be executed. The proposed reforms, Qurdahi stated, include several ailing sectors that are not directly involved with State difficulties, notably the gas and oil sectors, insurance and banking, industry, IT, religious tourism and medical tourism, and finally the reconstruction of Syria, to be supervised by the Lebanese National Energy (LNE). One spotlight, according to An Nahar, is religious tourism, where the conference recommended the launching in 2018 of a workshop by the ministry of tourism and the setting up of a committee that has an executive power and includes the government and the ministries of tourism, culture and public works with a mission to rehabilitate archeological sites periodically. As regards the industrial sector, recommendations included the creation of 3 industrial cities, the establishment of the necessary infrastructure and preparation of a project intended for long-term and low-interest sale within the cities. (An Nahar, November 4, 2017)
