Public Works Committee Follows Up on Border Crossings and External Transport

The Public Works, Transport, Energy and Water Committee held a session at 11:00 AM, chaired by MP Sajee Atieh, with the attendance of committee rapporteur MP Mohammad Khawaja and MPs Ahmad Al-Khair, Antoine Habchi, Hussein Jishi, Salim Aoun, Taha Naji, Abdel Karim Kabbara, Jamil Abboud, Adib Abdel Massih, Fadi Karam, Waddah Al-Sadek, Ghazi Zaiter, Bilal Al-Hachimi, Alain Aoun, Firas Hamdan, Qassem Hashem, and Adnan Tripoli.

Also present were Judge Nawal Saliba from the Higher Judicial Council, Ambassador Tony Franjieh representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Major General Mesbah Khalil, President of the Supreme Customs Council, Director General of the Ministry of Economy and Trade Mohammad Abu Haidar, Director General of Land and Sea Transport in the Ministry of Public Works and Transport Mazen Basbous, Director General of Roads and Buildings Pierre Maalouf, Acting Director General of the Ministry of Labor Marlene Attallah, Brigadier General Nazih Kouprli, Head of the Vehicle Registration Department in the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, representatives of the General Security Directorate Brigadier General Mohammad Al-Sebaa and Colonel Dawoud Fayyad, Rabih Sabra representing the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, Youssef Bassam, member of the Bureau of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, Munir Al-Bassat, Head of External Relations at the Lebanese Industrialists Association, Bassam Talis, head of the unions and syndicates of the land transport sector in Lebanon, Ahmad Al-Khair, head of the Syndicate of Transit Truck Owners for External Transport, Ahmad Hussein, head of the Syndicate of Refrigerated Truck Owners, and Ghassan Abdel Ghani, member of the administrative body of the Syndicate of Refrigerated Truck Owners.

The committee began its session by listening to the head of the subcommittee, MP Ahmad Al-Khair, who presented the recommendations previously reached by the subcommittee tasked with discussing border crossings, external land transport, and logistical preparations with relevant parties.

The committee then continued its session with the attending parties by discussing each item of the subcommittee's recommendations. At the end of the session, the committee adopted the subcommittee's recommendations with some amendments.
MP Al-Khair said after the session: "We met today in the Public Works Committee following four consecutive meetings of the subcommittee to discuss border crossings and external transport. There are recommendations that have been adopted through the committee, including equipping buildings and crossings, coordination between administrations and security agencies, leading to the establishment of a data center and adoption of electronic stamping, in addition to adopting axle weight for truck registration, amending certain articles of the new traffic law, giving priority to Lebanese drivers, and accelerating driving tests for the truck category. The committee recommended reaching a solution with the relevant parties to abolish transfers."