Tobacco sorting factory opens

New local cigarette brand soon

A new tobacco sorting facility has been inaugurated in Bekfaya as part of a plan to upgrade the Régie, the state-owned tobacco monopoly.

Nassif Seklawi, General Director of the Régie, said: “Tobacco will be sorted, classified, packed, and sterilized and then exported to international manufacturing firms according to global standards.”

The factory was designed by the Greek VIT firm with state-of-the-art equipment. It was partially funded by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) for a value $500,000. The rest of the cost was covered by the Régie and the Ministry of Finance.

The factory will create 300 seasonal jobs for four months every year.

Seklawi said that the Régie will sign on November 25, 2013 a $4.3 million agreement with an international firm to equip the Hadath factory for producing a new brand of locally-made cigarettes.

In 2012, the Régie contributed $366 million to public finances income. It also supported farmers through purchasing their crops at subsidized prices.