The Minister of Industry in the caretaker government, Dr. Imad Hoballah, has proposed to the caretaker Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, the reopening of some essential industrial sectors and exempting them from the lockdown decision.
The National News Agency reported that Hoballah addressed a letter to Diab proposing the reopening of certain key industrial sectors and exempting them from the lockdown while emphasizing that factories operate at 30% of their workforce and are required to conduct PCR tests monthly. The letter explained that the proposal comes in response to the legitimate demands of industrialists to preserve the industrial sector and its essential contribution as a cornerstone of the economy, both in production and export, ensuring the inflow of hard currencies into Lebanon while providing tens of thousands of job opportunities, which also contributes to social security and national stability.
The letter mentioned the sectors urgently proposed for reopening, including all types of food products, packaging and packaging materials of various products, detergents and sanitizers, personal protective materials, masks, protective clothing, and medical and health equipment of all types.
Moreover, it included factories that cannot cease operations due to the difficulty of extinguishing their kilns and/or steam boilers, such as cement, fertilizers, chemicals, paper and cardboard recycling, plastic, and vegetable oil production, in addition to aluminum, glass, and construction materials factories.
The letter indicated the reopening of all factories that export their products abroad, based on an export permit issued by the Minister of Industry according to documented evidence for export and orders. The Minister of Industry emphasized that factories should operate at 30% of their workforce and be required to conduct PCR tests monthly.
