“We aim to be a service provider of the first rank”
A RESILIENT ECONOMY AND AN OUTSTANDING DEBT SERVICE RECORD HAVE ALLOWED THE LEBANESE GOVERNMENT TO REBUILD ITS SHATTERED INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK. THE CHALLENGE NOW IS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY BY FURTHER EXPANDING PIVOTAL INDUSTRIES SUCH AS BANKING AND TOURISM

ISSAM FARES Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon

Issam Fares, as Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon could you introduce Lebanon and its government to our readers?
Lebanon is as old as history itself. The name Lebanon is mentioned 64 times in the bible and the country has survived the onslaught of many empires and kingdoms. It emerged in the 20th century as a country of Christians and Muslims with a Constitution and Council of Ministers carefully balanced between religious communities. Today, the President is a Christian and the Prime Minister is a Muslim and all top government posts are distributed equally between Christians and Muslims. Our main resource is our people and we are very proud of them.

How do you assess the Middle East situation?
It could go either way, but I sincerely hope that the region returns to the negotiating table on the basis of the Madrid conference principle of Land for Peace. The Lebanese firmly want peace but only a comprehensive and just peace based on international legitimacy and the resolutions of the UN Security Council.

What is the future for the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon?
The Lebanese position is clear. Palestinians have an inalienable right to return to their homeland as mentioned in UN resolution 194 and the Lebanese constitution expressly rejects the mass settlement of any non-Lebanese in Lebanon. The country cannot absorb an additional population at a time when our youth are forced to emigrate to find job opportunities.

SKY-HIGH HOPES Beirut is looking to the private sector to drive the local economy.

The number of Lebanese outside Lebanon is three times the number in Lebanon, why is this?
Literacy is very high in Lebanon and most Lebanese speak more than one language other than Arabic. The Lebanese have the ability to adapt to all societies they emigrate to. The war pushed many of our intelligentsia to look for opportunities elsewhere. The United States, Canada and Australia have attracted large numbers of our people.

It is estimated that there are two million Lebanese descendants living in the United States. What would you say to them?
We want them first and foremost to be good American citizens, to build bridges of friendship between our two countries without them forgetting their Lebanese origins. Some have very high posts in politics, business and the civil service and we are happy that they are participating effectively in American life.

How can you stop the brain drain?
The government is doing all it can to rebuild what was destroyed in the war, to revitalize the economy and to create job opportunities to counteract the wave of emigration.

On what basis are you revitalizing the national economy?
Lebanon has a free economy. We also have banking secrecy. These are the two pillars of our economy. Since our government took office we have undertaken an Open Skies policy, reformed the customs regime and privatized a number of key public sectors.

What do you think privatization will achieve?
Privatization will create economic growth. It will help the state pay off a significant amount of its debt capital. This will reduce the budget deficit and allow interest rates to come down. This in turn will encourage more lending, investment and growth. In addition our privatized utilities should end up being run at lower cost and better quality to the consumer and the business community.

What role will foreign investment play?
The entry into Lebanon of foreign investors and companies through these privatizations will create new synergies that will impact positively on Lebanon and its economic role in the region.

These companies require telecommunications networks and modern infrastructures. What steps have so far been taken?
We have been completing our infrastructure of highways, roads, water networks, electricity grids, fixed phones, mobile phones and data transmission networks to the highest technological standards. This has cost us more than we can comfortably afford but it is necessary to provide an attractive investment environment and allow Lebanon to regain its role as a service provider of the first rank.

In addition to your public responsibilities as Deputy Prime Minister, you have founded the Fares Foundation.
I have always felt that alongside the state, leading members of the private sector have a duty to promote human and social development. The Foundation empowers our people, principally through the provision of health and education projects, to play an active and productive role in their own social and economic future, and therefore that of our country.