Three industrial zones
to have master plans tendered

Located in Baalbek, Terbol and Joun

The Ministry of Industry (MoI) has chosen three locations to build industrial zones in Baalbek, Terbol, and Joun. The project is part of the Country Program Framework signed between MoI and the United National Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Minister of Industry, Hussein Hajj Hassan, said that the announcement of the project and the launch of the tenders for master plans will be launched next Tuesday. The Italian Government has made available €500,000 ($550,000) for executing the master plans.

The first industrial city in Baalbek will have a total land surface of 450,000 square meters. The second land will be located in Terbol and Koussaya and will be around 1.4 million m2. The third location is in Deir El Moukhalles and Joun and will have a surface of 500,000 m2. Most of the land is owned by municipalities and convents.

The MoI said that the industrial zones will be equipped with the required infrastructure, including the roads, water and waste treatment plants, sewage system, power generation, and piping.

The cost of equipping industrial land is $20-$25 per m2. Around $50 million will be needed for this project. The ministry said that part of the funds required for equipping the land are now available and that it is still working on securing the rest.

Industrialists will be able to have long term leases in these zones. MoI said that this project will give industrialists access to industrial land at low cost.