Seklaoui
Following the screening of a documentary video about the Regie’s history, the presentation of the commemorative book and live testimonies about the project, Chairman and General Manager Eng. Nassif Seklaoui delivered a speech in which he described the ceremony marking the institution’s 90th anniversary and the launch of the book as “a celebration of a solid institutional journey in the service of Lebanon and its economy.”
He said that the presence of Jaber, representing Berri, constituted “a confirmation of the national patronage enjoyed by the Regie, and of the trust placed in its role as one of the country’s economic pillars,” adding that it also contributed “to strengthening the relationship between the Regie and the Lebanese Ministry of Finance, which exercises tutelage over the institution.”
“On the Regie’s 90th anniversary, we are not here to celebrate while our country is bleeding; we are here because our story deserves to be told.
Our institution stood strong while others crumbled, rose when the nation grew weary, and contributed to financing the state treasury when its resources dried up,” he said.
Seklaoui recalled that the Regie’s 90-year journey “began in 1935 during the Mandate period, developed when Lebanon gained its independence and flourished during the state-building phase, with the inauguration of its headquarters in Hadat by late President Camille Chamoun.
Like the nation itself, it has experienced nine decades of war and peace, collapse and renewal.”
“Many doctors, engineers and lawyers have emerged from households filled with the smell of tobacco and tunbac leaves. One of the Regie’s first achievements was on the agricultural level: it redistributed agricultural licenses fairly, allowing 25,000 families to live decently from this cultivation today,” he continued.
He noted, however, that “this agricultural journey would not have been possible without the relationship built with the farmers themselves,” adding that the Regie “established a close partnership with tobacco farmers’ unions, based on trust and dialogue.”
“In moments when we were tested, when choices were costly and decisions pivotal, constant national support was indispensable to protect the institution. Here, I cannot but mention the tobacco seedling’s first sponsor, the unwavering pillar who has stood by our side at every turn, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who believed in the crucial role our institution plays in the nation’s resilience. He has always been there for us whenever a protective stance was needed, serving as a national shield against collapse.”
Seklaoui recalled that “subsidized prices for farmers would not have been approved, nor would tobacco cultivation have been sustained to this day, had it not been for the consensus reached between Berri and late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri. Berri’s decisive role and his firm defense of this choice had a pivotal impact not only on the survival of tobacco cultivation, but also on the protection of the institution itself and the assurance of its continuity as an economic, social and national pillar.”
“From the land, industry was bound to develop.
In 1993, the Regie launched its industrial activity with one production line and one national brand. Today, it operates 15 production lines with a capacity of three million cigarettes per hour, and manufactures more than 60 national and international brands,” he added. He also said that “the Batroun branch, which was once an abandoned site, has turned into the largest molasses (mu’assal) factory in the Middle East and North Africa.”
He made special mention of “one of the Regie’s distinguished figures, Board Member Eng. Georges Hobeika, who was in charge of the national industry under the most difficult circumstances, between 1985 and 1990, keeping the factories alive at a time when perseverance itself was an act of courage and defiance.”
He noted that, with the consolidation of its industrial base, the Regie has established trust with global tobacco companies, to the point that they stored their goods in the Regie’s warehouses without any financial guarantees, relying solely on the ethical credibility it had built over the years.
Thanks to the international quality certifications it has obtained, the Regie has signed numerous manufacturing agreements with these companies, gradually transforming itself from an institution fully dependent on imports into a Middle Eastern hub for the manufacturing of local and international tobacco products.”
Seklaoui also highlighted that, alongside this increase of production and commercial activity, the Regie did not hesitate to combat smuggling on the commercial front by adopting competitive pricing for products competing with smuggled goods.
It also fights smuggling through its Anti-Trafficking Unit, which has also achieved tangible results in close cooperation with the security forces.”
He said that the Regie “has managed to overcome successive economic crises and generated net revenues for the state treasury exceeding $3 billion between 2015 and 2024, with net revenues reaching $402 million in 2024 alone.”
“As we promised President Joseph Aoun during our most recent meeting, we expect our net revenues this year to reach $500 million,” he added.
Seklaoui emphasized that “these results are not merely figures; they tell the story of an institution that believed in people and, above all, invested in them.
The Regie adopted a different public administration model, streamlining its organizational structure and relying on partnerships with the private sector. It reduced its workforce from 5,000 employees in the 1970s to fewer than 700 by holding trainings regularly, in cooperation with Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan, while also establishing a complementary relationship with the Regie’s Syndicate of Laborers and Staff.”
“Since then, the Regie’s role has extended beyond economics and industry to take on a social dimension.
Through concrete action and a strong sense of responsibility, it stood where the state truly ought to be: alongside the people, the farmers and the national factories. We supported farmers, enabled them to remain on their land and stood by them both in times of war and in times of peace,” he continued.
In this context, he mentioned that the Regie “launched a series of development projects in cooperation with municipalities, implementing 246 projects in tobacco-growing villages. It was a pioneer — indeed, the only institution of its kind — in Akkar, and stood alongside the military institutions, with total aid provided under its social responsibility framework amounting to approximately $20 million.”
Seklaoui thanked “the successive finance ministers who stood by and supported the Regie since it became a public institution affiliated with the state, and who significantly contributed to its sustainability.”
“On the Regie’s 90th anniversary, a once-in-a-lifetime event, we are here not merely to launch a book, but to etch into our collective memory the journey of this national institution and to say to future generations: this is our story… this is our identity… this is our legacy. Tis’oun thus stands as a work of memory and loyalty, recounting the Regie’s journey from its founding in 1935 to the present day.
It condenses nine decades filled with challenges, milestones and achievements into pages shaped by three years of collective effort.”
Seklaoui thanked the large team behind the book, most particularly Mariam Hariri, Nour al-Mawla and Rana Kamaleddine.
After paying tribute to “the figures who remain ever-present, the employees who fulfilled their duty until their last breath and the companions who left an indelible mark on the institution’s path,” he expressed his gratitude to Board Members Eng, Georges Hobeika, Dr. Issam Salman, Dr. Mazen Abboud and Eng. Imad Bissat, and to “the Regie family, the heroes who never failed this institution, who distinguished themselves through their unwavering sense of belonging and dedication, and who turned loyalty into an everyday commitment rather than a mere slogan.”
“Allow me to say this in all honesty: I have always regarded my work at the Regie as a cause and never thought of it as a mere ‘job,’ in the sense that our employees do not constitute a burden on the state or its citizens. We are part of a national project founded on strong institutions and good governance. We long fought against those who attempted to break us and dash our dreams, yet we did not give up. We remained guardians at the gates of this institution, not to defend positions, but to prove that the state can succeed.”
“President Joseph Aoun placed his trust in this institution and held it up as a national example,” Seklaoui recalled. He then mentioned “the patronage of Speaker Nabih Berri, who had described the Regie as a model that goes against the state’s tide,” as well as “the appreciation expressed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam,” before voicing the Regie’s aspiration for “fruitful cooperation with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber in the coming period.”
He concluded by dedicating “the Regie’s achievements to the 41 tobacco farmers — men and women — who were martyred during the recent Israeli war on Lebanon. They remained steadfast on their land and faithful to their crops until the end, hoping that Lebanon would once again live in dignity.”
Jaber
After playing excerpts from a previous speech by Berri, Minister Jaber delivered a speech on behalf of the parliament speaker, in which he said: “It is an honor for me to represent Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri today, during this celebration marking the 90th anniversary of the Regie’s founding and the launch of a book that preserves the legacy and faithfully documents the memory of this institution.”
“The Regie, which started off with a limited number of farmers and administrators and a few traditional machines, is now one of the country’s most important national institutions. Today, it comprises farmers who remain steadfast on their land in the southern part of the country, near the borders, as well as in parts of the Bekaa and northern Lebanon,” he added.
“It also combines industrial labor, innovative scientific expertise and administrative competencies, all of which are part of an agricultural, industrial, commercial, developmental and profitable production cycle. This has contributed to the creation of employment opportunities for hundreds of hardworking individuals and skilled specialists.”
“The Regie is the public institution that contributes the most revenues to the state treasury.
These revenues are recorded in the treasury’s books as substantial income generated by a successful institution rather than as losses draining the treasury — losses that are sometimes misleadingly labeled as ‘advances’ when there is no hope of recovery,” he explained.
Jaber noted that the Regie “
did not rely solely on its core production cycle but expanded its scope to help citizens remain on their land and improve their living standards.
While it initially supported certain development projects aimed at strengthening people’s attachment to their land, it later went on to provide scholarships for outstanding and talented individuals in various cultural and artistic fields.”
“On a previous occasion, we said that a more fitting name for this institution would be ‘Production, Resilience and Development.
Today and every day, the Regie proves that this designation is completely accurate. The launch of the commemorative book highlights the Regie’s evolution throughout its history, safeguards its memory and enriches both the present and the future,” he added.
He stressed that “memory is a path that leads to the recovery of both individuals and society, while national memory represents the courageous choice in order to safeguard identity and sovereignty.”
“Our country is at a crossroads,” he said.
Let us draw lessons from the memory of the difficult days and hardships we endured during the war
Let us unite to protect our country from risks and let our choice be the courageous one: just as the elements of production within this successful institution are cohesive and complementary, so too must we rely on our cohesion. In doing so, we can achieve stability, safeguard our sovereignty and preserve the rich legacy of our identity, in which we take pride.
Those who lose their sovereignty and their identity do not merely lose their sense of belonging, which strengthens societies and drives their progress and prosperity; they render their very existence meaningless.”
“The sponsor of this event, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, has always shown special interest in your institution — today, yesterday, and long before — because of its role as a pillar of resilience and development, and he has asked me to convey a special greeting to your distinguished gathering. It is well known that he spares no effort to restore full sovereignty and safeguard national identity, bearing the responsibility of this complex and risky task in full alignment with the positions of the president and the prime minister. It is this identity alone that embodies the strength of the national, state, institutional, security, economic and social fabric — one that the schemes of those with ill intent fail to penetrate,” he continued.
Jaber also expressed his appreciation to “the persons in charge of the Regie, especially the man who led this journey, my friend Eng. Nassif Seklaoui, the members of the Board of Directors, and every employee who has contributed to the rise of this institution.
He added: “Ninety years have passed, and onward to another ninety filled with success and prosperity.”
At the end of Minister Jaber’s address, Seklaoui and the members of the Board of Directors presented him with an honorary shield, while the representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the project team, represented by Mariam Hariri and Rana Kamaleddine, offered him a copy of the book.
Project Manager Mariam Hariri, Head of General Directorate Service and Quality Manager at the Regie said that “the journey to uncover the Regie’s story began in 2023” and that research was conducted in “the Regie’s archives, the French archives, the library of the American University of Beirut, and the archives of Annahar Newspaper, among others.”
She added that “more than 2,000 original documents were found, some dating back to before 1935, along with more than 4,000 historical photographs.” The work also involved consulting “over 100 research references and conducting at least ten in-depth interviews with figures who witnessed pivotal milestones in the Regie’s history.”
She mentioned that the project required “700 days of work,” some of which unfolded amid “crises, war, anxiety and difficult circumstances,” stressing that “the Regie’s history had to be written and preserved.”
She explained that “the book, which comprises two parts and five chapters, does not merely recount the story of an institution but also describes the state’s experience.
It deserves to serve as a reference and to be preserved in the National Library, because the Regie is not just a public institution; it is an integral part of modern Lebanese history.”
She concluded by highlighting that the book documents “ninety years of contribution to Lebanon’s economy, of safeguarding and preserving the country’s agricultural heritage, and of supporting the national industry.”