Lebanon: closing of the Private Sector Development Programme

Financed by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, the PSD Programme (Private Sector Development Programme) has assisted with and established tools to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) specialised in wood processing (in Tripoli) and in certain agricultural sectors (in Bekaa and Akkar). The objective was to improve their competitiveness, productivity and economic integration by supporting their development and their insertion into their value chains.

“Private sector development is a priority for the European Union in Lebanon”, explained José Luis Vinuesa-Santamaria, representative of the EU Delegation to Lebanon. “From the north to the south of the country, we are convinced that the country has unexploited potential and that more should be done to improve the competitiveness of the Lebanese economy and diversify it. The current economic situation in Lebanon calls for an unprecedented collective effort to increase local production and develop its export potential, so as to make it less dependent on imports and contribute to rebalancing the trade deficit”.

A selection of Lebanese “Minjara” furniture on show at the closing of the PSD programme.

Jérémie Pellet, Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France, emphasised the achievements of the PSD programme, such as the creation of the Minjara platform to support Tripoli’s woodcraft sector, the successful cooperation with the René Moawad Foundation on the avocado sector in Akkar and the support to cherry and table grape growers in Zahlé, the capital of the Bekaa Governorate.

The ceremony was held in the presence of representatives of the European Union, the French Embassy in Lebanon, Expertise France, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture of Tripoli and North Lebanon (CCIAT) and the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI).

For more information, consult the PSD programme project sheet or www.psdplebanon.com