Industrial licenses flat

Foodstuffs factories in the lead

A total of 169 industrial licenses were issued during the second half of 2012, according to a report published by the Ministry of Industry (MoI). The number of licenses stood flat compared to the same period of 2011.

‘Establishment and investment’ licenses had the biggest share of licenses (35 percent) while licenses for initiating new projects represented 29 percent. Transfers of license rights represented 12 percent of the licenses issued. “Licenses for establishment and investment are provided to factories which were established during the civil war without obtaining a license,” an official at the MoI said. Such licenses are only provided for projects of the first category which includes heavy industries such as cement and chemical production. Some 38 percent of the licenses were offered to factories of the first category. Around 37 percent were for factories of the third category, which include food production.

Foodstuff factories had 29 percent of licenses, followed by construction material industries with 14 percent, and chemical products industries with 11 percent. Around 62 percent of all licenses were registered in Mount Lebanon, while 13 percent were in the Bekaa.