Finance Minister Yassine Jaber met with the Regie’s chairman and general manager, Eng. Nassif Seklaoui, in the presence of a delegation representing wholesale distributors of tobacco products.
The delegation outlined the mechanisms governing their relationship with the Regie and the Ministry of Finance, particularly with regard to the renewal fees of their annual licenses, specified in the 2026 Budget Law. Discussions focused on regulating the payment process to avoid any duplication in the competent fee-collection authority.
Seklaoui then briefed Minister Jaber on the tobacco crop collection process in the Bekaa, which is expected to conclude next Saturday. This comes after the completion of the same process in southern Lebanon, where farmers were able to cultivate and harvest their crops despite continued Israeli attacks over the past two years.
He also explained that the Regie supports tobacco farmers by offering them incentive prices and allocating its agricultural lands for seedling production, thereby helping them cultivate accessible plots, particularly in border areas.
Seklaoui further highlighted the Regie’s unwavering support for tobacco-growing villages and towns in southern Lebanon and Akkar, implemented through municipal partnerships as part of a development plan aimed at sustaining tobacco cultivation.
Minister Jaber reaffirmed his trust in the Regie, describing it as one of the most successful state institutions that provides the Treasury with substantial and steady revenues. He praised its efforts to support farmers by providing them with income to sustain tobacco cultivation, strengthening their steadfastness on their land despite difficult security conditions.
Regarding the renewal fees for wholesale tobacco sales licenses, Minister Jaber assured that he would examine the distributors’ request through flexible mechanisms that fully safeguard the State’s financial rights to fee collection, while preserving the interests of wholesalers in consumer markets.