President Aoun to the Regie’s President: Anti-Smuggling and Counterfeit Efforts are National requirement in which Everybody Must Participate

Source: Lebanese Presidency’s website

President Aoun discussed the Regie’s progress with its Head of the Board Eng. Nassif Seklaoui and Board’s members Georges Hobeika, Issam Sleiman, and Mazen Abboud. Seklaoui thanked Mr. President for the support he provides for the Regie. Seklaoui acquainted the President with the Regie’s achievements during the last few years, among which the innovation of the best electronic archiving system among Lebanese public institutions, and the adoption of mechanization and transparency in term of information access. He added that the Regie is the only Lebanese Public Institution to be granted the ISO 2015, for three consecutive years. He underlined that his institution has acquired international credibility, which encouraged international tobacco companies to entrust it to produce their brands.

Eng. Seklaoui ensured that the Regie is the first public institution to submit a financial auditing by international firms, which provided the National Treasury last year with more than $450 million in revenues, achieving an exceptional experience of cooperation with the private sector.

Moreover, the Regie lunched a sustainable development plan for the next ten years. The First National Anti-Smuggling Conference, which was held last March in the presence of representatives of Lebanese security, judicial, military, and public institutions; of 70 Arab and European countries; and of the UN, agreed upon a series of recommendations meant to be a corner stone of a joint national plan to fight illegal trade, smuggling, and counterfeit. Such activities cost Lebanese government around $1 billion annually. Among the recommendations are enhancing coordination and awareness, updating legislations and laws, strengthening the mechanisms of controlling and managing borderlines, and backing national industry.

Eng. Seklaoui stressed as well that a proposition will be duly sent to the Cabinet to adopt March 20th as a national day of fighting illegal trade.

In response, President Aoun hailed the Regie’s achievements and the development that was accomplished, meriting the administration Arab and international trust. In addition, he deemed combatting corruption, smuggling, and counterfeit as a major national effort in which everybody must participate, namely local associations and foundations, and citizens without being limited to relevant public institution.

At the end of the meeting, Seklaoui submitted to the President the wining photography in the competition commemorating tobacco plant.