As reported by the Presidency of the Republic:
President Joseph Aoun received the Chairman and General Manager of the Régie Libanaise des Tabacs et Tombacs (Regie), Eng. Nassif Seklaoui, along with Board members Eng. Georges Hobeika, Dr. Issam Salman, Eng. Imad Bassat, and Dr. Mazen Abboud, who briefed him on Regie’s key achievements.
Seklaoui stated that Regie was the first public administration to complete the revaluation of its fixed assets and inventory in accordance with Cabinet Resolution No. 330 dated December 5, 2024. The valuation, carried out by UTC, placed the value of fixed assets and inventory at $400 million. This figure does not include revenues or trademarks, whose value exceeds $10 billion, particularly the Cedars brand, which produces approximately one million boxes per month.
He added that despite the difficult circumstances facing the country, Regie inaugurated a 4-megawatt hybrid power plant and successfully transferred approximately two million kilograms of tobacco crops from its Kfar Remman warehouse through exceptional measures while the area was under bombardment.
Regie is also preparing to begin receiving tobacco crops from the town of Rmeish.
Seklaoui noted that Philip Morris International awarded Regie the Gold industrial classification, reflecting the growing international confidence in Lebanon’s tobacco manufacturing sector.
He also highlighted Regie’s support for municipalities with tobacco farmers, providing $15,000 to each municipality to help improve the conditions of those working in tobacco cultivation.
A total of 76 municipalities in Akkar, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa benefited from this support.
Seklaoui further referred to the inauguration of a Philip Morris production line under the patronage of the Minister of Finance, as well as the installation of another production line for the company by Regie’s own technical team after foreign technicians left Lebanon due to the prevailing circumstances.
Electronic cigarette production lines were also installed at the VIPE facility in Bikfaya, with production already underway on the first line. Regie has also begun preparations for the installation of a new production line in Bikfaya.
Regarding the fight against smuggling, Seklaoui explained that Regie carries out operations almost daily across Lebanon in cooperation with the Customs Administration.
Seklaoui projected Regie’s revenues for 2026 at approximately $500 million, attributing the achievements to the confidence placed by President Aoun in Regie’s current management, which enabled it to take effective decisions away from administrative routines that can hinder the work of public institutions.
President Aoun welcomed Regie’s Chairman and Board members and commended the institution’s efforts and the revenues it generates for the Treasury amid the current economic crisis and the difficult circumstances facing the country.
He also praised the Board’s efforts to regulate the sector and combat smuggling and the illicit tobacco trade.
The President highlighted Regie’s social role, particularly in providing agricultural employment in regions where tobacco cultivation represents a major source of livelihood, notably in South Lebanon, the Bekaa, and Akkar.
President Aoun also emphasized the importance of the international confidence Regie enjoys and its progress in administrative modernization and digitalization, linking these initiatives to the State’s broader efforts to reform public institutions.
He stressed that the transparency and sound management demonstrated by Regie have contributed to its achievements, as its work has been driven by the national interest rather than personal interests.