The Association of Tobacco Farmers in South Lebanon honored the sons and daughters of tobacco farmers who had passed the high school official exams for the academic year 2017-2018 in Sidon and Tyr during a ceremony held at the Bassel Al-Assad Cultural Center in Tyr under the auspices of caretaker Minister of Finance Ali Hassan Khalil.
The ceremony was attended by Minister Khalil in person, the Director General of La Regie Libanaise de Tabacs et Tombacs (Regie) Engineer Nassif Seklaoui, the head of the Confederation of Unions of Tobacco and Tambac Workers in Lebanon Hassan Faqih, Qaemmaqam Tyr Mohammad Jaffal, Sheikh Rabih Kobeisy representing the Mufti of Tyr and Jabal Amel, Sheikh Hassan Abdallah, Sheikh Issam Kassab representing the Mufti of Tyr and its regions Sheikh Madra Habbal, Archbishop Brechara Kattoura Representing Bishop Michael Abras, Archbishop Niclas Bassil representing Bishop Elias Kfoury, Monseigneur Charbel Abdallah representing Bishop Shekrallah Nabil El-Hajj, the representative of Amal Movement in Jabal Amel, Ali Ismail top of a delegation from the movement, the Head of the Municipal Union of Tyr, Hassan Dabbouq, the head of the educational region in South Lebanon Bassem Abbas, and a number of social figures and tobacco farmers.
Faqih
After the national anthem, Hawra’a Khalil presented the ceremony which commenced by the speech of Mr. Hassan Faqih who mentioned that various towns noting that “the goals of institutions evolve, as effective institutional systems define these goals according to emerging needs.” He then stressed the need for institutions to no longer rely solely on “strong individuals and powerful leadership” and to adopt “a resilient system that ensures the growth of the institution.”
“Crises teach us valuable lessons. For instance, the surge in black market activity (...) prompted us to shift our strategic focus from trade to industry in order to combat smuggling,” he explained. “The 2019 crisis taught us that the employee is the cornerstone of the institution, and that the institution cannot continue to make profits if its employees keep losing,” he added.
“Winning the hearts of partners and employees is key to sustained profitability,” he said. “Economic efficiency is the natural outcome of a strong work environment, a motivating work culture and good institutional management.”
The meeting featured three workshops. The first one, titled “Leading Under Pressure,” was conducted by director, drama therapist, and clinical psychologist Zeina Daccache. It focused on the pressures that executives face in Lebanon and explored ways to build mental and institutional resilience amid ongoing crises.
The second workshop revolved around the Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) and was led by industry expert Dr. David Soueidi of UMB Consulting. It addressed the link between business continuity and the Regie’s overall strategy, while examining potential disaster scenarios in the context of Lebanon’s current situation.
This meeting is part of the Regie’s ongoing efforts to promote a culture of strategic planning and organizational readiness, and to consolidate its position as a leading public institution in terms of governance, production, and development.