Valued opinions

After over a decade of dormancy, Lebanon’s Economic and Social Council (ESC) was reactivated last November. The ESC is an advisory body to the government, and its opinons are non-binding. Executive met with the economist Mazen Soueid, one of 71 individuals named to serve on committees of the ESC, to understand how the institution can address both business and civil concerns, prospects for the coming CEDRE infrastructure investment conference (also known as Paris IV) in April, and getting Lebanon’s economy working again. E   What is your role at the Economic and Social Council? I’m the president of the committee that looks at the productive sectors: industry, trade, banks, insurance, and the power sector. I think one of the most important achievements of this government and the new presidency was the appointment of the first council in over 17 years. E   Is the ESC meeting already and, if so,