Jaber Launches New Production Line at 'Régie': 'Régie' Among State's Most Successful Entities, Its Revenues Vital for Treasury Support

Finance Minister Yasin Jaber stated that the "Régie" is among the most successful state institutions, reminding that "its revenues constitute a fundamental contribution to supporting the treasury," while Régie Chairman and General Manager Engineer Naseef Sglaoui said installing the line with Lebanese expertise was "a challenge under extraordinary circumstances," given it occurred during the Israeli aggression.

Jaber expressed pride in what the "Régie" has achieved in terms of development, noting it is "one of the most successful government-owned institutions in Lebanon," and that its revenues represent a significant and substantial contribution to supporting the treasury and the national budget.

He said the "Régie" continues to develop its production despite Lebanon’s difficult conditions, adding that the institution is always ready to add new production lines because quality and success are defining characteristics of its work.

He emphasized the economic and social importance of the institution, pointing out that its support extends beyond generating revenue for the treasury—it also stands by tobacco farmers during hard times, including those unable to cultivate, and provides employment opportunities for hundreds of young men and women in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Jaber affirmed that supporting national industry must be a priority in the coming phase, considering investment in human capital "one of Lebanon’s most important messages." He added: "Government institutions should leverage the potential of our youth," praising the Lebanese expertise that has proven its ability to manage and operate production projects at the highest levels of efficiency and professionalism.

He paused at the new production line, noting that "the foreign partner company could not send its team due to wartime conditions, so Lebanese employees working at the Régie were responsible for assembling, installing, and operating it with high efficiency and professionalism." He added: "We are proud of them, and of the Lebanese product and the Lebanese worker."

Sglaoui

Engineer Sglaoui said the launch of the line "was in itself a challenge," as work proceeded under the sound of bombardment, just meters away from the southern suburbs, with walls shaking, yet work and training continued on installing a production line without any assistance from a foreign company. "This challenge did not occur under unusual conditions but under exceptional ones, reflecting the trust global companies have in the Régie and their confidence in investing in the Régie."

He added, "This challenge has two aspects: one related to the determination present within the Régie’s management and its personnel, and another related to support represented by the minister’s oversight and active follow-up of our key implementation steps."

He continued: "Practically, it is a partnership, as companies come to fund the installation of a production line worth millions of dollars, and we operate a local workforce on these machines to produce their products. It is a practical commercial partnership."

He clarified that the "Régie" generates revenue "on every box it produces," and when sold, it is subject to state fees, profits, and value-added tax. "This drives the Régie toward a bright future."

Karaman

Philip Morris General Manager Ali Karaman said: "We are proud to celebrate a milestone in our partnership with the Lebanese Tobacco and Nicotine Control Authority, reflecting a long-standing collaboration based on trust and excellence."

He commended the "exceptional efforts" of the manufacturing team over recent years, particularly in efficiently installing and operating new equipment despite challenges, thanking the Régie’s management and all members of the manufacturing team for their professionalism and dedication. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to "continuing this strategic partnership."

"A Qualitative Leap"

Minister Jaber honored six Régie employees who oversaw the installation of the new production line, while both Sglaoui and Karaman presented commemorative plaques to Régie’s Director of Industry and Maintenance, Engineer Boulos Ghanime.

The Régie issued a statement explaining that Philip Morris International provided the new line instead of its previous one with limited production capacity, due to the continuous growth in demand for its products manufactured at the Régie, and the company’s market share increase by 65 percent over the past two years.

The statement noted that "the new line represents a qualitative leap in terms of production capacity and technology used, with a capacity of approximately 12,000 cigarettes per minute."

The statement explained that "the line relies on a new generation of cigarette manufacturing and packaging technology, enhancing automation levels, operational efficiency, quality, and reliability, and providing the factory with additional flexibility to meet rising demand, introduce new product lines in the future, and utilize available capacity according to its needs and production plans."

The Régie highlighted in its statement that "the project’s significance lies especially in the fact that technical teams under the administration carried out the majority of the line’s installation and local preparation during an exceptional period when technical teams from manufacturing companies could not reach Lebanon—proving their capability to install and prepare the latest industrial equipment with high efficiency and reflecting the advanced technical expertise the institution possesses."

It stressed that "this achievement reflects the advanced level of technical expertise and capabilities accumulated by Régie teams, their ability to handle the latest industrial equipment, and the fact that completing the bulk of the project under Lebanon’s exceptional circumstances demonstrates their readiness to ensure continuity, maintain production, and implement development projects even amid crises."

It observed that "the choice of a global company like Philip Morris International to expand its production capacity at the Régie confirms the institution’s status as a trusted industrial partner capable of meeting the requirements of global companies."

The statement added that "the new line marks a milestone within the Régie’s ongoing strategy to modernize its industrial base, improve production efficiency, and adopt modern technology."

It forecasted that "operating the new line will boost manufacturing capacity, create new job opportunities, support local manufacturing, enhance the Régie’s contribution to the national economy, promote technology and expertise localization, and provide greater production flexibility—enabling the factory to meet growing demand, accommodate future growth, introduce new product lines, expand its production range, and leverage available capacity to meet future factory needs."

It concluded that "partnerships with global companies contribute to transferring modern industrial technology to Lebanon, developing local technical teams’ expertise, and strengthening their independence in managing advanced equipment."