by DailyStar.com.lb

Lebanon's Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hasan Tuesday warned of a total collapse of the industrial and trading sectors in Lebanon. Hajj Hasan, who was speaking at a conference for marble and granite factory owners at the Biel Exhibition Center in Beirut, said that "competition by foreign products ... has created a dangerous situation." The minister called on the government to protect local industries. Prime Minister Saad Hariri also spoke at the conference, who affirmed his government's vehement support to Lebanese industrialists and the country's local products. "We will work to serve you," Hariri told the attendees.

Marble and granite factory owners in Lebanon have recently staged several rallies against imports of similar products from Egypt and Syria. Lebanon has some 570 licensed factories and more than 500 unlicensed factories. Lebanese exports have declined due to high production costs in the country, in comparison to the cost of production in countries to which Lebanon exports its goods, Hajj Hasan noted. He added that Lebanon has faced several obstacles imposed by countries in Europe, Turkey, China, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, despite demands to lift the hurdles on Lebanese exports. The minister vowed that the government led by Hariri would seek to restore confidence by making decisions to protect local production sectors