October 28, 2014LCPS and the Ministry of Industry Launch a Public-Private Dialogue
The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies (LCPS) and the Lebanese Ministry of Industry have launched a public-private dialogue initiative to support reform within the industrial sector. This initiative stems from the principle that public-private dialogue will provide a forum to better identify bottlenecks in the sector as well as opportunities to promptly address them through a more transparent and accountable policy-making process.
To further these aims, LCPS and the Ministry of Industry are conducting a series of roundtables that bring the public and private sectors together to discuss challenges related to producing and exporting highly sophisticated goods. Using a unique analytical tool, the Product Space Method, LCPS was able to identify products that Lebanese manufacturers could potentially produce and export. These findings not only will help guide public-private dialogue on the sector but also demonstrate that there are opportunities to diversify the Lebanese economy.
The first and second roundtable discussions focused on the agro-food sector. The meetings were held on 10 September and 23 September, 2014, which the minister of industry, representatives of the ministry, and representatives from the agro-food syndicate, as well as members of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists all participated in. The agenda included discussions on the main challenges facing the sector today, the feasibility of developing new agro-food products, and prospects for expanding exports and export destinations. The next roundtable discussions will feature the participation of representatives of the machinery and equipment; wood and furniture; and textile and clothing industries.
