EXECUTIVE speaks to Fadi Abboud, head of the Lebanese Association of Industrialists, on the outlook for industry in the absence of government support, sizeable foreign investment and a fair playing field for regional trade. E Is the cardinal industry question, at this stage in Lebanon’s history, the cost of production or political stability? We can survive political instability. At this point, our biggest problem is the cost of production and the reluctance of the government to do anything about it. For argument’s sake: you cannot control the bribes at Beirut Port, or at social security, or Electricite du Liban and so on. Well, make things coming to Lebanon a bit more expensive, to subsidize all these things. But don’t say: “We can’t control the cost of production but we won’t take more taxes.” Industrialists are the only Lebanese on this planet saying: “Please, please, please, collect more taxes.” And imagine,
