The municipal council in Rmeich, BentJbeil, inaugurated an info-library, which was partially financed by the businessman Sarkis Sarkis, within the initiative of the Regie’s General Manager Eng. Nassif Seklaoui, in the presence of religious, municipal, educational, and social notables.
Al Hajj
Following the National Anthem, the municipal chief, Rachid Al Hajj, spoke and underlined the initiative of Sarkis and the efforts of Seklaoui to build the library, considering it “a generous gesture serving the youth and locals in the village”.
Seklaoui
Seklaoui pointed that the roots of smuggling go back to “what occurred in the nearby markets, namely the Syrian market, wherein importation was liberated without restrictions.” As well, he announced: “smuggling is directly covered and controlled by some companies, although having commercial transactions with the RLTT.” He added that these companies follow a double standard according to which it sells the RLTT in one hand, and then in the other they introduce the biggest amount of their products into the market through smuggling. “The paradox was that these companies had sent us numerous responsible and experts claiming their wish to study ways of tracking smuggling, while at the same time, they were involved in the process.”
Seklaoui clarified that “a huge turning point occurred during 2015 regarding the policies of these companies after they have closely perceived the seriousness of the RLTT facing these practices, through modifying the importation system, and forcing companies involved in smuggling to pay fines.
Seklaoui pointed that other smuggling operations take place “through companies that were founded and systemized without having any transactions with the RLTT”. He said: “we filed a legal dossier as an official report to the financial public prosecutor, in which are indicated all these companies”. Seklaoui indicated that the anti-smuggling campaign resulted in 800 reports, the detention of 37 vehicles, and the cancellation of 16 licenses, whereas the overall value of fines reached 15 Billion LBP, pointing that the prizes delivered for collaborating citizens reached one billion 450 million LBP.
He underlined that “the trust of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ali Hassan Khalil, and the free space that was given to the RLTT represented a main cause of its success”; “for years, we were trying to convince the tutorship authority to the industrial investment. Now that the Minister of Finance adopted our projects, we inaugurated in 2015 the most important cigarettes factory in the Middle East, as well we launched new products that we wanted to stand against the smuggled products, and which was able to succeed and exceed our positive expectations. Prices were fixed, providing traders with a profit margin that surpasses the smuggled products’. He added: “during 2016 we will introduce a new production line.”
He underlined: “the accounts of the RLTT in the agricultural sector goes from its humanitarian responsibility”, indicating that “the prices of South and North harvest for this season will reach 95 billion LBP”.
He accentuated the importance of the RLTT’s investment in human resource, indicating that 2015 witnessed the coaching of 930 employees in the framework of professional sessions inside Lebanon as well as abroad”; “the RLTT developed a strategy in this domain with the assistance of Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan, which had positive outcomes.”
Seklaoui reminded that the RLTT executed during 2015 “tens of vital projects in order to support local development in South, North, and Bekaa, through local municipalities”, ensuring that 2016 will be loaded with similar accomplishments regardless all expected difficulties.”
He concluded that the RLTT seeks to establish “a strong base for the perspective toward public establishments.”
Al-Laoun
The dinner was inaugurated by a speech from the Manager of Public Relations Mrs. Nahla Slim, followed by an infographic segment covering the RLTT’s accomplishments.
Mr. Elias AL-Laoun spoke on behalf of licensed Head of Sales, wherein he said: “this year, although the economic crisis and the regression in the market the RLTT achieved a milestone represented by the introduction of a new cigarette in the market.” He noticed the “satisfying results” of the new cigarettes “Cedars Plus” and “Cedars Silver”, which were the result of “the great job made on different levels; the package design and outline, the taste, the retail price fixation, the superior production, in addition to the cooperation with the head of sales in order to accelerate the marketing”. Mr. Al-Laoun hoped that “the RLTT would be able in the future to diffuse this cigarette in foreign markets.”
The dinner had held a musical performance by the singer Sobhi Toufik and the band.