Q&A: Vrej Sbounjian

Lebanon’s productive sectors are often short-changed in favor of tourism, real estate and banking. What’s more, Minister of Industry Vrej Sbounjian commands a paltry budget of LL7.71 billion ($5.14 million). In such an environment the nation’s industrialists need a well-informed fighter holding their corner in the Cabinet.  Executive met with the minister to see if he has been up to the task. The 2012 budget lacked any tangible or creative initiatives to boost Lebanon’s productive sectors. Was this not a failure on your behalf? We can’t forget previous governments in the past six or seven years couldn’t even pass a budget, so I want to congratulate this government on even having passed a budget. With regards to industry, it is fine, we don’t have any complaints concerning the economy or industry. Where are we at with the draft law to slash export taxes? That law has been approved in the